Mouse fever: Deadly disease of spring season

The so-called "mouse fever," or hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), has several distinct symptoms, infectious disease specialist Azat Mukhametzyanov says. 

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org by Christian Fischer, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Mouse

Early signs of the illness include:

• high fever of 38-40°C (100.4-104°F),
• sore throat,
• swollen lymph nodes,
• headaches,
• nausea,
• lower back and abdominal pain,
• and
• skin rashes.

The infection most commonly occurs through airborne transmission – such as exposure to contaminated areas outdoors or during the cleaning of spaces where rodent droppings are present. Additionally, the virus can spread through food contaminated with the excretions of infected rodents.

To prevent infection, the specialist advised washing hands thoroughly with soap after being outdoors, using gloves and a respirator when handling dust, and storing food in rodent-proof containers. If symptoms appear, he urged seeking immediate medical attention rather than attempting self-treatment.

Previously, infectious disease specialist Yevgeny Shapovalov warned that dried river fish could contain dangerous parasites, which can severely affect the digestive system.

HFRS or "mouse fever" is a deadly disease that affects even smallest blood vessels, leads to the dysfunction of kidneys and other organs. HFRS is caused by a virus with mouse-like rodents acting as its carriers. Infection occurs when inhaling dust containing infected rodent excrement.