Unfortunately the dangerous diseases that can be caught while outdoors they exist, and they are not few. These are mostly rare diseases, in some cases even very rare, which can be contracted from viruses and bacteria contained in the open waters of lakes and rivers, or caused by contact with animals or the bites of their parasites, such as ticks. Prevent these dangerous diseases that can be contracted in nature it is very difficult, but it can be useful to know the causes, to stay away from them, and above all the first symptoms, to recognize them and intervene in time with the right therapy, when it exists.

Dangerous diseases contained in the fresh waters of lakes and rivers

Some of these dangerous diseases are contained in the fresh waters of lakes and rivers or mountain streams.

Naegleria fowleri: the brain-eating amoeba

Naegleria foowleri, or brain eating amoeba, is an extremely rare disease, of which only one case is known in Italy and 134 in the United States, mainly in Texas, from the 1960s to today (including the recent case of Lily Mae Avant, a 10-year-old girl who died within a few days of contracting the infection in a river). There Naegleria foowleri it is a tiny amoeba that lives in fresh, warm waters and can only be introduced into our body through the nose, via a jet of water, from which it then goes up to the brain. At this point it feeds on cerebral nervous tissue causing the primary amoebic meningoencephalitiswhich manifests itself with headache and fever leading to delirium and death.

Since Naegleria fowleri was identified and its connection with primary amoebic meningoencephalitis, there have been reports of only 3 cases of people survived thanks to timely treatment with the antifungal drug amphotericin B.

Giardiasis (or giardiasis)

Giardiasis (or lambliasis) is an infection caused by the ingestion of cysts Giardia interstinalis (or Giardia lamblia or Giardia duodenalis, as it is also known), a parasite that lives in water. Giardiasis is very aggressive, causing diarrhea and dehydration between 12 and 19 days after infection with the parasite, and in some cases of particular weakness or debilitation of the immune system it can even lead to death. The risk of contracting Giardiasis increases when one ingests contaminated water or food, often in situations of precarious hygienic conditions, but also by drinking water from rivers, streams or bodies of water frequented by wild rodents. Giardiasis can be treated with antiparasitic drugs

Cryptosporidiosis

Cryptosporidiosis is another parasite that can be found in water, both rivers, lakes but also swimming pools whose water is not appropriately filtered. Fortunately, Cryptosporidiosis is not fatal but causes severe intestinal symptoms which in most cases disappear even without treatment.

Dangerous diseases caused by fungi

Mushrooms can be responsible for some potentially dangerous diseases that can be contracted through inhalation, therefore even without ingesting mushrooms.

Histoplasmosis, or caver’s disease

L’Istoplasmosi, o speleologist’s disease, is an infection caused by some fungi found in bat excrement and which can be inhaled by entering the environments they inhabit, such as caves or natural cavities. Often the disease has no symptoms but in many cases it can be confused with pneumonia.

Coccidioidomycosis or Valley Fever

Coccidioidomycosis or Valley Fever is a mycosis caused byinhalation of fungi present in the soil and which spread into the environment due to the wind. Coccidioidomycosis or Valley Fever is widespread especially in the southern states of the United States and in the drier and more arid regions of South America. THE Initial symptoms are similar to the flu, with degeneration similar to pneumonia, and the disease can be treated with antifungal drugs, although the symptoms are often underestimated and a couple of hundred people die from it every year in the United States. Unfortunately the fungus never leaves the body and, as with malaria, symptoms may recur years later or cyclically so much so that some infected people are forced to undergo drug therapy for life.

Blastomycosis, or Gilchrist’s disease

Blastomycosis, or Gilchrist’s disease, is also an infection caused by fungi, in particular by inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis, a fungus that thrives in damp soil where it finds rotten leaves and wood. Blastomyces dermatitidis is often asymptomatic, although it can manifest similar to pneumonia, and is endemic in some regions of North America. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

Dangerous diseases caused by insects

In addition to Lyme disease (which we talked about here) there are other dangerous diseases caused by insects.

protection

Among the infections transmitted to humans by ticks is Babesiosis, very widespread in the States and less so in Europe but still a good reason to know what to do in the case of a tick bite. Symptoms appear approximately 4 weeks after infection and manifest themselves with anemia, chills, asthenia and muscle pain acute fever type. Fortunately, Babesiosis can be treated and does not cause the neurological and cardiac disorders of Lyme disease.

Dangerous diseases transmitted by animals

Finally, there are also some dangerous diseases transmitted by animals.

Tularemia or rabbit fever

Tularemia, or Rabbit Fever, is an infection that can be transmitted by direct contact with rodents such as mice and squirrels, with rabbits and hares, but also by ticks that have come into contact with infected animals as well as by inhalation of infectious particles and from ingesting contaminated water. The infection is caused by Francisella tularensis and causes fever, difficulty swallowing and headache. Tularemia or Rabbit Fever is very rare, anymore frequent in people such as hunters or people who handle game, and can be treated with antibiotic therapy.

Hantavirus

The symptoms of Hantavirus are fever, feeling tired, chills and muscle aches, and normally appear up to 5 weeks after infection. Hantavirus is fatal in 1 in 3 casesbecause there is no cure, and it is contracted through direct contact with urine, saliva or rodent feces through inhalation, ingestion or contact with an open wound (it is not enough to touch them, even accidentally).

Over the bubonic plague

Finally, although now very rare, there is the Bubonic Plague, transmitted to humans by tick bites of rats or directly by rat bites: the sting or bite causes pustules which then transform into buboes following inflammation of the lymph nodes. Bubonic plague, if not diagnosed early, can be deadly.

Photo by Egor Kamelev from Pexels

Advertising

You might also be interested in…

2024-06-20 07:01:30
#dangerous #diseases #catch #nature

Related