Nizhny Novgorod Oblast has ranked among the top regions where people frequently contract hantavirus.

      27 August 2025 14:28

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      Society NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" - Maria Orlova

      The Nizhny Novgorod region has once again been among the regions with the most severe epidemiological situation for hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), known as mouse fever. According to Rospotrebnadzor, the region is among the five territories with the highest incidence in the country.

      As NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" found out, 3,396 cases of HFRS were registered in Russia in 2024, of which 10 were fatal. Despite an overall 33% decrease in incidence nationwide, the infection rate in the Nizhny Novgorod region remained at the previous year’s level. At the end of 2024 the rate in the region was 13.06 cases per 100,000 population, almost six times higher than the national average.

      A difficult situation was also recorded in the Udmurt Republic, Kirov and Penza regions, and in Tatarstan. These regions of the Volga Federal District account for 75% of all cases in the country. This is due to natural conditions: broadleaf and small-leaved forests create a favorable environment for the reproduction of the bank vole — the main carrier of the Puumala virus, which causes HFRS.

      Photo: Rospotrebnadzor of Russia

      The Nizhny Novgorod region is considered endemic for this disease. Infected rodents are found almost throughout the region, including in Nizhny Novgorod. According to the regional office of Rospotrebnadzor, last year 76.6% of all natural focal infections in the region were HFRS.

      Nevertheless, a positive trend emerged in 2025: in the first seven months the number of cases in the region fell 1.5-fold compared with the same period last year.

      Recall that mouse fever is a viral zoonotic disease. Infection occurs through contact with rodents or their excretions. Early symptoms are nonspecific and are often mistaken for a cold or tonsillitis: high fever up to 40°C (104°F), chills, headache, body aches, and swollen lymph nodes. Later there may be pain in the lower back and abdomen, visual impairment, eye pain, and a rash resembling lash marks.

      In severe cases the disease can be fatal, so at the first signs it is necessary to urgently seek medical help and inform the doctor about possible contact with rodents.

      It is worth adding that a complex of measures is being carried out in the region to prevent HFRS by reducing the number of infection carriers and limiting the population’s contact with rodents. Residents are advised to take precautions both at home and outdoors.

      When visiting the forest, do not place food on the ground; it is better to hang food from trees. For overnight stays, choose dry, uncrowded areas, avoiding haystacks and straw. After a long absence from a house or dacha, ventilate the premises and carry out wet cleaning with disinfectants.

      When cleaning farm buildings and cellars, it is better to use personal protective equipment — gloves, a mask and work clothes. Do not eat or smoke during such work.

      It is also important to avoid cluttering yards and premises, promptly remove garbage and seal all possible entry points for rodents into homes. Store food in places inaccessible to mice, and always boil water.

      Following these simple rules helps significantly reduce the risk of infection with this dangerous disease.

      Earlier it was reported that six cases of tick-borne encephalitis were recorded in the Nizhny Novgorod region.

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