New Disease Outbreak: Deadly Tick-Borne Disease Infesting Western Europe

A fatal tick-borne disease, known as Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) has now spread in Western Europe for the first time. The said disease is deadly for about 30 percent of those who obtain it.

It was reported that there were two who have been infected. The first one to be affected by the said disease was a 62-year old hiker. He caught the virus while walking in the Avila region and was rushed to the hospital. Unfortunately, he died after spreading the infection to a 50-year old healthcare worker, who is under recovery at the moment, according to New Scientist.

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The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control warns the travelers, hikers, hospital staff and agricultural workers to keep away from ticks and potentially infected animals around Western Europe. Herve Zeller from ECDC said that they targeting risk exposure groups like livestock farmers and hunters who are always into contact with animals. He further said that they can be in contact with ticks, and by quashing them it can allow the virus through their skin.

When humans have the CCHF infection, it causes vomiting, severe fever, black stool and nose bleeds. There is about 30 percent of those with CCHF infection will be dead within two weeks. No vaccine for the said infection is available now. It was reported that there were 20 people died from CCHF infection in Pakistan, according to Science Alert.

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a prevalent tick-borne disease in Africa, Middle East, the Balkans, and Asia. It is spread by Hyalomma tick that lives on livestock. The illness could proliferate with the tick bites or be in contact with infected people or animals. It has a mortality rate of 10 to 40 percent for severely infected humans.