São Paulo – The Municipal Health Department of Campinas, in the interior of São Paulo, this Tuesday (13/6) identified another suspected case of spotted fever related to an event held at Fazenda Santa Margarida. Three party participants died from the disease.
The patient is a 16-year-old teenager, resident of Campinas, who has been hospitalized since June 9th. According to the city hall, the family only informed that the young woman participated in the event, held on May 27, after seeing the repercussions of the spotted fever outbreak in the city.
“The case appears to be an outbreak of spotted fever”, informed the City Hall of Campinas after disclosing the investigation of a new case. The district of Joaquim Egídio is mapped as a risk area for the disease.
The victims are dentist Mariana Giordano, 36, Douglas Costa, 42, her boyfriend, and a resident of Hortolândia, whose name has not been released. The diagnosis of Rocky Mountain spotted fever for all three was confirmed by the Instituto Adolfo Lutz this Tuesday.
The material collected from the teenager is under analysis. According to the city hall, the case had already been reported to Health Surveillance as suspected spotted fever, dengue, leptospirosis or meningitis.
No events
The city of Campinas informed that Fazenda Santa Margarida, indicated as the place where people contracted the disease, will only be able to hold new events when it presents an environmental and communication contingency plan.
Those responsible for the place were notified about the importance of signage regarding the risk of Rocky Mountain spotted fever, according to the municipal administration.
In the next few days, technicians will carry out a survey to check the tick infestation (acarological survey) in the space.
“This information is essential for the person to adopt safe behaviors when attending these spaces and also so that, after attending, if they show signs and symptoms, they can inform the doctor and facilitate the diagnosis”, says the city hall.
Accountability
The event space, however, makes the municipal administration responsible for the control and prevention of the disease.
In a statement, the farm says it complies with “sanitary surveillance standards” and follows “a rigorous process of maintenance and care in relation to the space and its conservation”.
“This disease is considered a zoonosis, that is, a disease that can be transmitted between animals and humans. It should be noted that the responsibility for the control and prevention of spotted fever is attributed to the municipality, as established by the relevant legislation”, states
The farm argues that the rural region of Campinas “always presented cases of spotted fever”. The infectious disease is caused by the bacteria Rickettsia rickettsii, transmitted to humans by some species of ticks.
Rocky Mountain spotted fever
Rocky Mountain spotted fever is curable, but treatment needs to be started early with appropriate antibiotics. The main symptom of the disease is high fever, which can be confused with other illnesses.
“Therefore, it is important that the doctor always asks, or that the patient reports that he has been in a vegetation area with the presence of ticks or capybaras. With this history, treatment should be started immediately”, says Andrea von Zuben, director of the Department of Health Surveillance (Devisa), in Campinas.
The main symptoms of Rocky Mountain spotted fever are:
Fever;
Severe headache;
Nausea and vomiting;
Diarrhea and abdominal pain;
constant muscle pain;
Swelling and redness on the palms and soles of the feet;
Gangrene in the fingers and ears;
Paralysis of the limbs that starts in the legs and goes up to the lungs causing respiratory arrest.
In the evolution of the disease, the appearance of red spots on the wrists and ankles is also common, which do not itch, but can increase towards the palms of the hands, arms or soles of the feet.
How is the transmission?
The transmission of the disease occurs in wild environments, where the Amblyomma cajennense tick, popularly known as the star tick, exists. For transmission to occur, the tick must remain attached to the skin for a period of about 4 hours.
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How to protect yourself:
When hiking and outdoor leisure activities, some precautions must be taken to avoid Rocky Mountain spotted fever:
Avoid walking, sitting and lying on lawns and in areas of known tick infestation;
In wild areas, perform inspections on the body in search of ticks at three-hour intervals to reduce the risk of contracting the disease;
If ticks are found on the body, do not crush the tick with your fingernails, as it can release bacteria and infect body parts with lesions;
If you find the parasite, it must be removed lightly with twists and with the help of tweezers, avoiding contact with the nails. The faster they are removed, the less chance of infection;
Use physical barriers, such as long pants, with the bottom inside the boots or thick socks;
Use of light clothes to facilitate the visualization and removal of ticks.
