São Paulo – One of the victims of the spotted fever outbreak, dentist Evelyn Karoline Santos, 28, went to more than one hospital, was diagnosed with dengue and was advised to rest at home, in Hortolândia, in the interior of São Paulo, according to family members. She died on Thursday (6/8), the eve of an international trip she would make to celebrate Valentine’s Day.
Evelyn and her husband, Marcelo Borges, 38, participated in Feijoada do Seo Rosa, held on May 27, at Fazenda Santa Margarida, in a rural area of Campinas, identified by health authorities as a “probable site of infection”. Three other infected people who went to the event, responsible for bringing together about 3,500 people, also died.
Marcelo reports that he was the first of the couple to experience symptoms, but his condition improved after two days in bed. The young woman had to go to the Mario Covas Municipal Hospital, in Hortolândia, on Sunday (6/4), with pain in her joints and a fever of around 40º C.
“At the hospital, she had a blood test and the only thing that showed was a change in platelets, which were between 122,000 and 125,000. They treated it like dengue and sent it home. It was not investigated in depth whether it was true or not”, says Marcelo. Analysis by the Adolfo Lutz Institute, completed this Tuesday (13/6), confirmed that the young woman had spotted fever.
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Rocky Mountain spotted fever
Rocky Mountain spotted fever is an infectious disease caused by the bacteria Rickettsia rickettsii, which is transmitted by some species of ticks. Despite having a cure, treatment is done with specific antibiotics and needs to be started early.
According to Marcelo, Evelyn returned to seek medical help on Monday (5/6), this time at the Samaritano Hospital, a private network, in Hortolândia. “She was taking serum, plasil and dipyrone. She changed the doctor who was on duty and he said he was sure she had dengue,” she says. Two more tests were done, both negative for the disease.
“The doctor said it was nothing alarming and I could go home. I asked several times what it could be and the answer I got was: ‘It could be a lot. Go home and rest’”, says her husband.
The last attempt was on Tuesday (6/6), at Unicamp’s Hospital de Clínicas, in Campinas. “On the way, she convulsed in the car. She was weak, she threw up. I was doing cardiac massage on her, ”she reports. Evelyn was admitted to the unit in serious condition, had to be intubated and had her death confirmed two days later.
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