Oroya Fever

Oroya fever is a rare bacterial infection that occurs almost exclusively in a narrowly defined area of the Andes — in the high, dry, harsh valleys between Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia. It is transmitted by the bite of a tiny sandfly that lives only at certain altitudes. The pathogen — a bacterium called Bartonella bacilliformis — attacks the red blood cells and, if not treated in time, can lead to severe anemia, high fever, and organ failure. This disease is serious. It can kill. And it deserves full medical respect.