A 53-year-old truck driver was hospitalized in serious condition with leptospirosis after showing symptoms that began after eating a mango. He told g1 that he picked up the fruit from the ground and peeled it with his mouth, without washing it. Roberto Luiz celebrates the ‘miracle’ of being alive, as doctors did not trust his recovery.
Leptospirosis, caused by bacteria of the genus Leptospira, is generally transmitted through the urine of infected animals, such as rodents, and caused serious damage to Roberto. He had to undergo hemodialysis and was informed that his organs had begun to fail. “I was disillusioned.”
He ate the fruit on December 7, on the banks of the Washington Luís Highway, when he stopped on the road during the trip. He was returning to Santos, on the coast of São Paulo, after delivering a load in the interior of São Paulo. Two days later, at home, he began to feel feverish, muscle pain and vomiting.
On the 12th, he had to return to the road to take new cargo to the interior of the state. The trip was made in a convoy with other drivers. During the journey, the condition worsened. The pain increased and he started vomiting in the truck. “I couldn’t stand up,” said Roberto, who had to be removed from the vehicle by colleagues.
The driver was taken to a hospital in Ilha Solteira (SP), close to where he was, where he was treated and released. Upon arriving in Santos, on the 12th, he sought help at the Emergency Care Unit (UPA) in the Northwest Zone. There, he underwent tests and was diagnosed with dengue.
He decided to seek another opinion at the UPA in the East Zone, in the same city. When repeating the exams, the same results. Without answers, Roberto’s symptoms worsened as the days went by. He had a high fever and muscle pain.
“My case started to get very serious. Because they [médicos] They didn’t understand what was happening. I [estava] with pain all over the body. You couldn’t touch me. It’s intense pain all the time.”
Santos City Hall reported that, after laboratory tests at UPA Zona Leste, the diagnosis of dengue fever, urinary tract infection and acute kidney failure was made, and hospitalization and hydration were requested. He was transferred to Santa Casa on December 16 after developing jaundice (his skin and eyes turned yellow).
Discovery of the disease
At Santa Casa de Santos, on December 16th, the medical team repeated all the tests. As his condition worsened, a doctor questioned whether he had fallen into a flood or had been drinking from cans. He recalled the episode with his sleeve, which helped him understand what could have happened.
The doctors took a long time to diagnose him and, until he was cured, he heard that he would not recover. During treatment, he says that he heard from a medical resident at Santa Casa de Santos: “Your liver stopped, your kidneys stopped. What more do you want to know? Your organs are shutting down. Wow, man, there’s nothing to say to you. There’s nothing better for you, there’s nothing else to do.”
Roberto said he was devastated and was told by the same professional: “You’re not reacting, you’re not eating, you’re not doing anything.” Even so, he stated that the medical team did not give up on working for his improvement, which he also attributes to his wife’s prayers.
Weil syndrome
In his case, leptospirosis evolved into Weil Syndrome, the most serious manifestation of the disease. In many cases, the skin turns orange, hemorrhage and kidney failure occur.
“In these madnesses of picking mangoes, I picked several, filled the bag, and there were some already ripe ones on the ground. I picked it up from the ground, peeled it with my mouth and ate it, normally, as I always did with guava, with several other fruits that I picked up”, he told g1.
Roberto underwent some hemodialysis sessions, but the doctors were already without hope. The doctor’s words and the comment from an acquaintance that he would only survive through a miracle left him mentally shaken, but still with the strength to fight and reverse the situation.
“I drank a lot of water without wanting to, I ate little pieces of cookies, because I had to eat and I couldn’t. So, you are left fighting against time and against death, in reality. I was disillusioned.”
Recovery
According to Roberto, the turning point in his recovery came when his wife mobilized to ask for prayers. While he was undergoing hemodialysis sessions, people prayed for him.
In the early hours of December 21st, on the eve of Christmas, the driver woke up feeling better. His organs began to improve and one of the doctors even said that Roberto had been ‘reborn’. The driver has no doubt that he is alive because of the faith they placed in his recovery: “It was God.” Within a few days, the Santos player was transferred to his room and was discharged in the middle of Christmas.
The man told g1 that he leads a very active life and often surfs. In muscular rehabilitation, therefore, he decided to do exercises that simulate the sport he loves to play. “I surf skateboard for rehabilitation. It’s a surfing simulator. I went to Quebra-Mar, did some exercises, I felt good. I’m cycling, stretching,” he said.
Leptospirosis
According to the Ministry of Health, leptospirosis is an infectious disease caused by bacteria present in the urine of rats and other animals. It is transmitted to humans mainly during floods, when contaminated water rises from sewers and drains.
The symptoms are similar to those of other illnesses, such as flu and dengue, which also include fever, headache, body aches, vomiting, diarrhea and cough. In the most serious cases, hospitalization is necessary.
Prevention is directly linked to basic sanitation measures, in addition to avoiding contact with water or mud from floods and floods. To combat the presence of rats, another precaution is the proper packaging and disposal of garbage and correct storage of food.