Topline
A disease spread by rodents that causes vomiting and bleeding from the eyes called “mouse fever” is tearing through Russian troops fighting in Ukraine, according to Ukrainian intelligence, illustrating the poor conditions soldiers face as the war edges towards stalemate and nears the two-year mark.
Key Facts
“Mouse fever” is reportedly “mowing down” Russian troops “en masse” near the city of Kupyansk in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, Ukraine’s military intelligence directorate (GUR) said in a Telegram post.
Symptoms of mouse fever include a severe headache, fever, rashes, low blood pressure, nausea, vomiting and bleeding from the eyes, GUR said, adding that the disease resembles flu in its early stages.
The disease also affects the kidneys, GUR wrote, meaning infected people can experience severe pain in the lower back and have difficulty urinating.
The disease is spread by rodents and transmitted to humans when they inhale dust from rodent excrement or eat contaminated food, the GUR said.
GUR claimed the Russian command is ignoring complaints from its troops about illnesses like mouse fever, believing them to be an excuse to avoid combat duties.
GUR’s report on the disease spreading through Russian troops has not been independently verified and Russia’s Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to Forbes’ request for comment.
What We Don’t Know
GUR did not identify the disease it claims is striking down Russian troops. The agency said it was viral in nature, which, along with its mode of transmission and the symptoms identified, suggests mouse fever could be hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HFRS is a “ group of clinically similar illnesses caused by” a cluster of related viruses known as hantaviruses. Hantaviruses, which can also cause respiratory infections, are carried and transmitted by rodents and people can become infected following exposure to aerosolized urine, droppings or saliva, in addition to direct contact with broken skin or membranes of the eyes, nose or mouth. There is no specific treatment, cure or vaccine for hantavirus infection according to the CDC and “rodent control is the primary strategy for preventing hantavirus infections.” Depending on the virus and type of infection, hantavirus can be fatal in fewer than 1% of cases or as many as 38% of cases.
Tangent
Rat-bite fever could also be the disease in question according to several news outlets. According to the CDC, rat-bite fever is caused by two different kinds of bacteria—Streptobacillus moniliformis and Spirillum minus—transmitted to humans following contact with rodents, typically through bites or scratches, contact with saliva, urine or feces or by consuming contaminated food or drink (when it is known as Haverhill fever). Untreated, rat-bite fever can be serious or even fatal, the CDC warns, with symptoms including fever, vomiting, headache, muscle and joint pain and rash. The CDC said antibiotics are often highly effective at treating the disease if they are taken promptly after sickness begins and that the best way of lowering the risk of contracting rat-bite fever is to avoid direct contact with rodents.
Key Background
War zones are bleak and create ideal conditions for illness and disease. Historically, infectious diseases have accounted for a major portion of the deaths and injuries suffered during war, often exceeding the death toll from the battlefield. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is no exception and includes both civilians and the military. The loss of critical infrastructure like safe drinking water in battered cities and disruption of routine vaccination has sparked fears of disease outbreaks like cholera and measles and Ukrainian hospitals are reportedly battling an “alarming increase” in drug-resistant infections following the breakdown of usual protocols and hygiene levels normally used to prevent infection. Beyond the risk of serious injury on the battlefield—something that reportedly does not stop Russia from sending someone back to the frontlines—fighters are also facing a multitude of risks to their health. Russian troops, many of whom are prisoner recruits, have reportedly suffered radiation sickness after digging trenches in Chernobyl, been infected with anthrax (also when digging trenches) and turned to high levels of drug use in the trenches, which are reportedly filthy and filled with rats.
How common are unexplained outbreaks of disease? (BBC)
Ukraine infections show rising threat from antibiotic resistance (FT)
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