？Mouse fever“ – hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome – case report

Sa？etak PA case of previously healthy 42-year-old woodman who saffered from haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), also called epidemic nephropathy, is presented. Haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome belongs to emerging infections. It is caused by hantaviruses. Those viruses are transmitted to humans by rodents, bank vole and mice being the main reservoirs. Two types of hantaviruses are identified in Croatia: Puumala virus and Dobrava-Belgrade virus. Puumala virus is the most frequent hantavirus in our country. It causes mild to moderate form of HFRS. People are infected by inhaling aerosolised virus particles shed through urine, faeces or saliva. The main characteristic of HFRS is renal dysfunction or renal failure with rare haemorrhagic anifestations. Other frequent symptoms are fever, headache, backpain and gastrointestinal symptoms. Dobrava-Belgrade type of virus causes more severe disease with bleedings, pulmonary symptoms and neurological complications. The course of HFRS is divided into five stages: febrile, hypotensive, oliguric, diuretic and convalescent phase, but these phases are not always clinically evident. There is no specific antiviral therapy. Therefore, it is very important that family physicians working in the regions where HFRS usually occures, have it in mind in cases of patients with sudden onset of fever or flu-like symptom