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‘Woodshed’ Fever From Vole Pee: Doctors Advise Precautions |
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By Antje Neumann
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Thursday, 13 November 2008 |
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This autumn has seen exceptionally many outbreaks of myyräkuume or nephropathia epidemica, a hemorrhagic fever spread by rodents. Antje Neumann investigates the disease, how to avoid infection, and what symptoms to look out for.
 Vole urine spreads 'woodshed' fever
It is caused by the Puumala type of hantavirus, of which tens of different types are known, occurring in many parts of the world and responsible for serious disease. Fortunately Puumala is the only hantavirus occurring in Finland and its clinical course is generally milder than the haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome caused by hantaviruses in other parts of the world.
While only 20-25% of persons who got the infection get ill–and in most cases there are no symptoms at all and the person gets immunity against the disease without even knowing it–those with bad luck can develop fever, severe headache, dizziness, sight disorder, pain in joints, back pain, and gastrointestinal symptoms (stomach pain, throwing up) about 2-4 weeks after contracting the disease.
In some cases patients can get problems with sight and disorders of consciousness, and severe complications like gastrointestinal haemorrhage or brain damage due to high fever can occur but are fortunately quite rare.
The incidence of NE varies from year to year and with the season, depending on the size of the vole population and its degree of infection. This year has seen more cases of NE than usual in Finland during August-September. “When frost sets in, there will be many more infections in humans”, warns Satu Mäkelä, medical doctor at the university clinic in Tampere.
Typical places to catch NE are wood sheds and other storage places: infected rodents do not get sick themselves but act as a carrier of the virus –humans can get infected by airborne particles originating from the rodent’s urine or faeces. It is advised to chop wood outside wood sheds to avoid inhaling dust and possible attached virus particles from dried rodent urine. Also, cleaning of places to which rodents have access should be left until spring.
In the beginning of the disease, it is difficult to know how bad it will become. Symptoms like high fever, bad headache, illness and kidney problems (for instance, not being able to urinate) can and should be treated immediately.
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