Mormo disease, common in animals such as horses, mules and donkeys, can contaminate humans, causing difficulty breathing, chest pain, pneumonia, pleural effusion, and also forming wounds on the skin and mucous membranes.
The human being can be infected with B. mallei, which causes the disease, through inhalation or contact with the secretions of a contaminated animal, which may be present in the animal's drinking fountain, harness and tools, for example.
Treatment for Mormo's disease
The treatment for glanders, also known as Lamparão, is done with hospital admission with the use of a combination of antibiotics for a few days. During hospitalization, blood tests and X-rays should be performed to observe the evolution of the disease and to adopt specific treatments for organs that may be affected.
Depending on the state in which the patient arrives at the hospital it may be necessary to provide oxygen through a mask or put it to breathe with the help of appliances.
Complications of glanders
Complications of glanders may arise when treatment is not performed as soon as the symptoms appear and can be severe with lung involvement and dissemination of the bacteria through the blood, causing septicemia. In this case there may be fever, chills, muscle pain, chest pain and difficulty breathing, and signs of liver and other organ involvement such as yellowing of the skin and eyes, abdominal pain and tachycardia, and multiple organ failure and death.
Symptoms of Mormon Disease
Initially the symptoms of Mormo's disease in humans may be nonspecific causing nausea, dizziness, muscle pain, severe headache and loss of appetite until they arise:
- Night sweats, general malaise;
- Rounded wounds about 1 cm in the skin or mucous membranes, which initially looks like a blister, but that gradually becomes an ulcer;
- The face, especially the nose, may become swollen, making it difficult for air to pass through;
- Nasal discharge with pus;
- Sore lymph nodes, anus;
- Gastrointestinal signs such as severe diarrhea.
Lungs, liver and spleen are usually affected but the bacteria can affect any organ and even the muscles.
The incubation period may reach 14 days, but usually the symptoms appear within 5 days, although chronic cases may take months to manifest.
Diagnosis of glandular disease in humans can be made by culturing B. mallei in lesions, blood tests or PCR. The malein test, despite being indicated for animals, is not used in humans. The x-ray of the lung is indicated to evaluate the impairment of this organ but it does not serve to confirm the diagnosis of the mormor disease.
How to avoid Mormon disease
For prevention of Mormo disease it is recommended to wear gloves and boots when handling animals that may be contaminated because no vaccine is available. The visible symptoms that help identify the disease in the animals are nasal discharge, fever and wounds by the body of the animal, but a blood test can confirm that the animal is contaminated and must be slaughtered.
Transmission from one person to another is rare and there is no need for isolation, although hospital visits are restricted to allow rest and recovery of the patient. Sexual contact and breastfeeding should not be encouraged during the lifetime of the disease.
Mormon disease can be chronic
Mormo's disease may be chronic, which is a milder form of the disease, in which case the symptoms are mild, flu-like, and ulcers may appear on the skin scattered throughout the body, arising from time to time, with weight loss and swollen and aching gums. There are reports that the disease may last for about 25 years.
However, when the symptoms appear suddenly and are very intense, the mormor disease is classified as acute and is severe, requiring immediate medical attention as it is potentially fatal.
