Month: September 2021

Once upon a time, Mr. Alberto, a man of advanced age, but active, had a fall, fractured his left leg, and had surgery. He was in hospital for a week and, when he was about to be discharged, he had symptoms like fever and respiratory complaints, so he had to stay in the hospital. The tests performed showed that he had pneumonia and, even before the identification of the causing microbe, he got the antibiotic treatment that is usually prescribed for this disease. After three days, Mr. Alberto still had fever and respiratory symptoms. The tests showed that the infection was generated by a bacterium, a staphylococcus, resistant to the administered antibiotics. A new antibiotic was prescribed, and after another week and a half of treatment in the hospital, Mr. Alberto was able to return home.

Once upon a time there was a cat named Maltês, very cute and soft, who enjoyed trickery and jokes. He lived with Maria, a funny girl full of energy, and her family. Together, they played nonstop, from morning to night, in the living room, in the garden and even in Maria’s bed. One day, Maria became ill, she had fever and general malaise. She went to the family doctor, who diagnosed her with a “flu”. But the disease did not go away, and Maria's parents consulted another doctor, and then another, and still another. Finally, the last doctor recalled that Maria was not alone in the world, nor at home. Although her parents and grandparents were fine and the cat also looked fine, the experienced doctor ordered tests for various diseases. The diagnosis, now accurate, was toxoplasmosis, an infection caused by a parasite that produces eggs only in the intestines of cats. Maria received the proper treatment and was cured!