THE Brazilian hemorrhagic fever is serious and rare disease, having reappeared in Brazil in 2020, with the record of the first death from the disease, after 20 years without registered cases. The transmission of this disease is related to contact with wild rodents. The main symptoms, as the name suggests, are fever and hemorrhage, and its treatment is aimed only at reducing these and other symptoms.
What is Brazilian hemorrhagic fever?
THE Brazilian hemorrhagic fever is caused by virus of the family Arenaviridae, which has three genres: Mammarenavirus, Reptarenavirus and Hartmanivirus.According to the Ministry of Health, in the literature, there are four cases of Brazilian hemorrhagic fever in humans, all caused by gender. Mammarenavirus.
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Transmission of Brazilian hemorrhagic fever
Brazilian hemorrhagic fever can be transmitted from two distinct ways. An individual can contract the disease, for example, by inhaling particles formed from secretions and excretions of small mammals, possibly
wild rodents,which can be infected by viruses and eliminate you for life.Transmission can also occur from one person to another, when there is prolonged and close contact with the patient through secretions and excretions of the infected. It is noteworthy that, to avoid this type of transmission, extra care must be taken in hospital environments, being essential to pay attention to the use of protective equipment individual.
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Brazilian hemorrhagic fever symptoms
Brazilian hemorrhagic fever has no specific symptoms, therefore, it can be easily confused with other viral diseases, such as dengue and yellow fever. In the table below, we separate the main symptoms that can be attributed to this disease.
Brazilian hemorrhagic fever symptoms |
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Fever malaise Mucosal bleeding Body pain Headache Stomach ache Sore throat pain behind the eyes light sensitivity Reddish patches on the body Somnolence Dizziness behavioral changes Convulsions |
The time between exposure to the virus that causes Brazilian hemorrhagic fever and the onset of symptoms, on average, is 6 to 14 days. As the evolution of the disease is fast and can lead to death, it is essential to seek medical care when presenting symptoms described above, especially if there was contact with wild rodents, sick people or visited areas where there are reports of the disease.
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Diagnosis and treatment of Brazilian hemorrhagic fever
The diagnosis of Brazilian hemorrhagic fever is based on a molecular biology test, which is available in the Unified Health System. The disease does not have a specific treatment, and therapy for the symptom treatment identified. During treatment, the patient with suspected or confirmed disease should remain isolated.
Prevention of Brazilian hemorrhagic fever
As we have seen above, transmission of hemorrhagic fever is related to contact with secretions and excretions from contaminated rodents, as well as contact with patients. Thus, prevention is based on avoid wild rodents and places where these animals are present, avoid contact with the patient and, for health professionals, the adoption of a individual protection.
Other hemorrhagic fevers
Brazilian hemorrhagic fever is not the only known hemorrhagic fever. In addition to it, several other diseases fall into this category, which is the case ofmalaria, gives leptospirosis and the hemorrhagic fever of dengue, for example. All these diseases have in common the fact that they are responsible for triggering fever and bleeding disorders. To learn more about this type of disease, visit our text hemorrhagic fevers.
By Vanessa Sardinha dos Santos
Biology teacher
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/doencas/febre-hemorragica-brasileira.htm