Russian troops in Ukraine are facing an outbreak of mouse fever, with symptoms of nausea, vomiting, headaches and bleeding eyes, government officials in Kyiv said.
Ukrainian military officials said the sickness has hit several Russian units in the trenches near Kupyansk in eastern Ukraine.
“The disease is viral in nature and is transmitted to humans from rodents — through direct contact … as a result of inhaling mouse excrement dust or ingesting it in food consumed by humans,” Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate, or HUR, said Tuesday on the Telegram social media site.
Mouse fever isn’t a clinical term, but it appears to be similar to leptospirosis, a bacterial disease that affects humans and animals.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, leptospirosis can lead to kidney damage, meningitis, liver failure and even death without treatment.
Complaints from the troops about the outbreak of mouse fever are being ignored by Russian military commanders who say the soldiers are just trying to get out of fighting, Ukrainian officials said.
“Discontent is growing in the units of the Russian occupation army due to inadequate provision of winter items and a complete lack of medical assistance,” the HUR said on Telegram.