Prevention of natural focal diseases

Currently, the epidemic situation in the territory of our region for natural focal infectious diseases (POI) transmitted by rodents remains tense.

A significant number of settlements in the region are located in the zone of natural foci of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, tularemia, which is associated with the risk of involving the living population in the epidemic process.

Natural focal infections are diseases common to humans and animals, the pathogens of which can be transmitted from animals to humans. They are widely distributed among wild, agricultural, domestic animals, especially rodents.

Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is a severe infectious disease that occurs with an increase in body temperature, general intoxication, damage to the kidneys, blood vessels and other organs. The source of infection is small rodents (red vole, field mouse, gray and black rat, different types of voles).

Human transmission occurs in various ways. The virus is released from rodents with saliva and excrement. In winter, when the resistance of the virus increases significantly, the main route of transmission of infection is air-dust.

The incubation period (from infection to clinical manifestations) lasts from 10 to 35 days, usually 2-3 weeks. At the beginning of the disease, there is a fever, headache, muscle pain, weakness, severe weakness, sometimes a sore throat, nausea, vomiting, there may be loose stools, a rash on the body. After a few days, pain in the lower back and abdomen is added, the amount of urine decreases, there are changes in the urine tests.

When the first signs of the disease appear, you should immediately consult a doctor, since a patient with HFRS at the beginning of the disease needs strict bed rest and constant medical supervision. A sick person is not contagious to others. A person who has been ill gets a strong immune system.

Prevention of HFRS:

• compliance with the rules of personal hygiene;
• cleaning of premises should be carried out only in a wet way;
• ensure that food is not accessible to rodents (storage in tightly closed metal containers).);
• do not use rodent-damaged food products for food without heat treatment;
• do not use water from open reservoirs;
• do not touch live or dead rodents without gloves or rubber gloves.

Tularemia is an infectious disease, the source of which is various species of wild animals. In natural conditions, tularemia affects more than 60 species of small mammals, mainly rodents (water rats, voles, mice, house mice, hares).

Ways of infection: transmissible-through the bites of infected insects; contact-when a person is bitten by an infected rodent, removing the skin from the animal, cutting the carcass, contact with the secretions of infected rodents; alimentary – oral) - when eating food and water infected with rodent secretions; aspiration (air-dust) - when inhaling dust infected with the pathogen.

After the penetration of the pathogen into the body, symptoms of the disease occur on 3-7 days. All forms of the disease are accompanied by symptoms similar to the flu: fever, chills, body aches and weakness. A person with tularemia is not contagious to others. People who have had the disease do not get sick again.

In order to prevent tularemia, it is not recommended to drink water from open reservoirs or unsettled wells, as well as to catch wild animals and pick up the corpses of small mammals.

Do not risk your health and life! Take care of yourself and be healthy!