Mouse (hemorrhagic) fever. Behind a funny at first glance, the name hides a serious and extremely dangerous infectious disease.
Starting like a common cold, a fever quickly leads to irreversible changes on the part of the internal organs.
The kidneys are the first to suffer. Disorders of the excretory system in many cases result in death, therefore it is so important to identify this disease in time and begin treatment.
Mouse fever in men: causes
In the practice of infectious disease doctors there averaged portrait of a hemorrhagic fever patient. Most often, the disease affects men, residents of the countryside. It is explainable. The causative agent carrier is a mouse vole, which is not so easy to meet in a metropolis. Since the infectious agent is not transmitted from person to person, the city dweller has even less chance of getting sick.
The question arises: why is murine fever more common in men? The reasons for this lie in neglect of the rules of hygiene. Otherwise, both men and women suffer equally often.
The immediate cause of infection is contact with small rodents and their waste products. This means that you can become the "owner" of the pathogen:
• When inhaling air with particles of saliva, droppings of rodents.
• When eating foods on the surface of which are the vital products of mice, rats (a common situation when pickles, vegetables and other food are stored in sheds, cellars).
• Upon contact with rodents (the pathogen can enter the body through damaged skin, mucous membranes, etc.).
Residents of urban apartments in which rodents are found are in the same danger.
Thus, the causes of mouse fever in men are in contact with rodents and violation of basic hygiene rules.
Mouse fever in men: signs
A disease like hemorrhagic fever has a complex development. In the clinical picture, 5 stages are distinguished.
• The first stage covers the period from the moment of infection to the onset of the first symptoms. This is the so-called incubation period. It lasts, on average, 3-4 weeks. At this time, the patient does not know that the body is "hosted" by an unsolicited guest. There are no symptoms. In men, the first symptoms of mouse fever develop earlier.
• The first station (onset) is developing rapidly. Its duration is 2-3 days. During this period, the picture resembles a cold: the patient has symptoms of intoxication (headache, nausea, body aches, weakness). In addition, the symptoms in the initial phase of the development of fever include:
- Vomiting
- Redness of the face, collar region (neck, part of the back). This is due to a rush of blood to the skin and many small hemorrhages.
- Rash (red, blood-filled vesicles).
- Hyperthermia (fever up to 39-40 degrees).
The signs of mouse fever in men and women are generally the same.
In some cases, the clinical picture may be blurry. It is noteworthy that the first symptoms of mouse fever in men may not be as bright as in women.
• The second stage also develops sharply and begins with a decrease in the daily amount of urine (oliguria). Oliguria indicates the onset of impaired renal function. The oliguric period of the disease lasts from 8 to 11 days. All this time, the patient has intense pain in the lower abdomen and lower back. After 2-3 days from the beginning of the oliguric stage, intense vomiting appears.
By the end of the oliguric stage, the symptomatic increase in temperature practically disappears. However, this does not bring relief.
• The third stage. Also called polyuric. In severe cases of the disease, it is preceded by a stage of impaired renal function (manifested by edema, mental disorders such as depression, sleep disturbances).
Fortunately, with timely treatment, the polyuric stage occurs earlier. During this period, there is an increase in daily diuresis (polyuria). It is from 2-5 liters of urine per day. This is a good indicator, since it indicates the normalization of the kidneys. But during the course of the third stage, observation is important: the development of complications in the form of renal failure is possible.
Duration - about 5-15 days.
• The fourth stage is manifested by the disappearance of fever. Only residual effects are observed. This stage of the disease can last from 1 month to 15 years. Even if the patient is not worried, it’s too early to calm down. There is always a risk of formidable complications, which means that you need to constantly be under the preventive supervision of a nephrologist.
Thus, signs of mouse fever in men include:
• The phenomena of intoxication (headache, weakness, etc.).
• Increase in temperature (up to 40 degrees).
• Vomiting.
• Nausea.
• Pain in the lower back and abdomen.
• Decrease in daily urine output.
• Increased daily urine output in the final period of the disease.
Diagnosis of mouse fever in men
If a person suspects a mouse fever, it is necessary to consult a physician or, if the symptoms are in full swing, do not hesitate to call an ambulance. In cases of mild disease, it can be treated on an outpatient basis by a general practitioner (infectious disease specialist) and a nephrologist. In all other situations, hospitalization is indispensable.
Diagnosis, especially in the early stages, presents many difficulties. The most important thing here is to pay attention to the likely circumstances of the infection. Diagnostics includes:
• Interviewing a patient. Gathering an anamnesis, the doctor should clarify the nature of the complaints, their prescription. Equally important, find out if there has been contact with rodents.
• Laboratory research. A general blood test allows you to identify the inflammatory process. Blood biochemistry makes it possible to assess renal function by a number of substances: urea, creatinine. A specific PCR test is used to detect traces of the pathogen in the patient’s biomaterial. Other methods are practically useless at the initial stage of the development of the disease. When renal impairment occurs, urinalysis is informative.
• Instrumental research. Limited to ultrasound diagnostics. Ultrasound allows you to visualize renal structures and identify abnormalities.
In general, these studies are sufficient for an attentive specialist to make a diagnosis. A typical development of the clinical picture contributes to an even faster identification of the "root of evil."
Treatment of mouse fever in men
Treatment of mouse fever in men is a difficult task: such a difficult disease requires an integrated approach.
From the first to the last day of the disease, strict bed rest is necessary: the pathogen causes fragility of blood vessels, therefore there is a high risk of bleeding. The duration of bed rest is determined by the doctor. On average, we are talking about 2-6 weeks.
In the case of therapy, a variety of drugs are used:
• Analgesics are used to eliminate the pain syndrome: analgin, ketorolac, etc.
• The fight against the virus is implemented by antiviral drugs (Lavomax, etc.).
• Anti-inflammatory and antipyretic effect are achieved by taking special medications: Nurofen, Paracetamol, etc.
• Sorbents are prescribed to remove toxins from the body.
• It is important to prescribe supportive treatment: vitamins, glucose.
• For edema, hormonal medication is required: prednisone, dexamethasone.
All drugs should be prescribed only by a doctor.
Mouse fever in men: prevention
It’s easier to prevent the disease than to treat it later. Prevention of mouse fever in men, as well as in women and children, is not difficult.
It is enough to follow simple rules:
• Do not store food in the clear. Especially where rodents are likely to be found (in cellars, cellars, sheds, etc.). Use tight packaging.
• Do not eat such foods, much less eat foods bitten by rodents.
• Wash hands regularly.
• Avoid contact with mice and rats.
• Ventilate utility rooms more often.
• Timely fight rodents in living quarters.
Mouse fever is a serious and dangerous disease. At the initial stages, it is practically indistinguishable from a cold, but it can quickly cause a fatal outcome or, at least, severe disruptions in the body.
You can’t diagnose yourself and even more so you can’t prescribe treatment for yourself. In order to avoid the development of complications in all cases, it is recommended to be treated in a hospital.
