What is known about Huff’s disease, known as black urine disease – Metro

With Two suspected cases In Ciara recorded during the month of August, Half disease – also known as “black urine disease– Raised concerns in the medical community. This condition is caused by rhabdomyolysis syndrome associated with eating contaminated fish or crustaceans, which leads to muscle tissue rupture.

According to scientific research published in Eurosurveillance newspaper Published on the website of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Vocruz), infections from Half’s disease were first reported in 1924 in the Baltic region, between Prussia and Sweden. Then the United States and China also set similar records. In Brazil, it is currently found in the Amazon case outbreak in the region, with 44 suspected cases.

In this scenario, the file Northeast Diary Talk to an infectious disease doctor and professor at the Faculty of Medicine Federal University of Ceará (UFC), Mônica Façanha, to understand the condition caused by diseases in the human body.

What is Huff disease or “black urine disease”?

“What is known so far is that it is a disease transmitted by eating fish, shrimp or lobster and that it is caused by a toxic substance that we cannot identify with the naked eye, that is, we cannot identify it by smell or color, to search and find that the fish is rotten and therefore ignores the possibility of eating it.” This is a problem, because at first no one knows how to carry out primary prevention,” the infection specialist highlights.

What are the symptoms of the disease?

Symptoms can occur very soon after eating the fish, two hours and a day or a little later. A person begins to get body achesAnd Fever, may have the disease Also, what is noteworthy is dark urineBecause this toxin affects the muscles, the muscle cell breaks down and releases myoglobin, giving urine a dark color. It depends on the amount of muscle damage [rabdomiólise] It can even lead to kidney damage,” says the doctor.

What are the fish that cause black urine disease?

Several fish have already been identified on suspicion of being responsible for the disease. we Recife casesCurrently, Tampachi is indicted. But we have cases with other types of fish. Mônica Façanha explains the hypothesis that contamination occurs in the storage or transportation of animals.

According to the Ceará (Sisa) Department of Health, the two suspected cases in the state are linked to ingestion of fish species Arabiana Or “bull’s eye”.

Already in the study issued by European watchThe disease usually involves consumption fresh water fish. Of the 15 cases reported in the survey, 14 ate cooked ‘bull’s-eye’ fish (Seriola spp) or “whit” (Mycteroperca spp). The research team is also working with the hypothesis that the most likely cause of illness is a toxin in the aquatic food chain.

How to prevent this syndrome?

“At this point, what you can do is eat less fish, and try to avoid large amounts of fish to contain the ingestion of toxins, if they are present. If you are going to eat it, make sure it is as fresh as possible to avoid any storage or transportation issues. There is no definition It’s clear what can be done, because we can’t identify the problem before we address it,” the UFC professor points out.

According to infectious scientist Antonio Bandera, in an interview with Brazilian Society of Infectology (SBI), the toxin found in infected fish and shellfish is heat stable. Thus, “there is no point in boiling, frying, or cooking contaminated fish.”

How is Huff disease transmitted and what are its main risks?

According to Dr. Monica Canha, the disease is transmitted exclusively through consumption of contaminated fish or crustaceans, and is not considered a contagious disease between humans. In addition, the disease can cause several complications, but the most common and dangerous is kidney failure.

What should people do when they notice dark urine or suspect illness?

“They need to find healthcareBecause it is necessary to know the intensity of this participation. And then you will need a lot of water to protect the kidneys. The specialist concludes that the treatment is mainly to rehydrate and maintain the functions of vital organs.

* Mônica Façanha has a medical degree from the Federal University of Ceará, a master’s degree in infectious and parasitic diseases from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, and a doctorate in pharmacology from the Federal University of Ceará.