The virus that causes Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever is carried by the Hyalomma tick. (Picture by … [+]
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A lady in England has been identified with Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic fever in line with a new report from the U.Okay. Well being Safety Company. The viral illness is unfold by ticks and livestock animals in areas of the world the place it’s thought-about endemic. These embrace areas in Africa, the Center East, Asia and the Balkans and the case within the U.Okay. was present in a lady who had just lately returned from central Asia. It’s not present in ticks within the U.Okay.
The symptoms of the illness can embrace fever, muscle ache, dizziness, sensitivity to gentle, stomach ache and vomiting, in addition to temper swings, aggression and confusion in additional superior illness. The illness is critical, with a fatality rate of up to 40% in contaminated people, however is just not simply transmitted between folks. Though in Spain in 2016, a person died of the illness, infecting a nurse caring from him within the course of.
Dr. Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Advisor at The U.Okay. Well being Safety company (UKHSA) mentioned in an announcement that “the general danger to the general public could be very low,” including that anybody who had shut contact with the contaminated particular person was being contacted.
“UKHSA and the NHS have nicely established and strong an infection management procedures for coping with circumstances of imported infectious illness and these can be strictly adopted” added Hopkins.
The affected person is being handled on the Royal Free Hospital in Central London, which is a specialist heart for treating sufferers with harmful viral infections. There isn’t a vaccine for the virus in both people or animals and the standard treatment is especially supportive care, making certain management of fluid steadiness, electrolytes and oxygen in addition to remedy of any secondary infections which will happen. There may be an antiviral drug which has reportedly proven some profit in sufferers, however the evidence in assist of it’s controversial.
