The infection is tick borne but can also be transmitted from human to human if there is adequate physical proximity. A case has been reported after a gap of five years
A farmer in Gujarat’s Jamnagar has been reported dead after being detected with Crimean Congo haemorrhagic fever – a tick borne infection which has a high fatality rate and no vaccine. This is the first case reported in the city since 2019.
CCHF, also commonly referred to as Congo fever is endemic in parts of Asia, Africa and Europe but neither humans nor animals can be vaccinated against it as none exists. Here’s all you need to know about CCHF.
What is CCHF?
CCHF is a viral infection (a Nairovirus) that is usually carried from one infected animal to another by ticks. World Health Organisation categorises it as a disease that in endemic in Africa, the Balkans, the Middle East and Asia. The case fatality rate can be anything between 10-40% depending on the health of the individual who has been infected. The commonest hosts for the CCHF virus are cattle, goat and sheep. It is therefore significant that the first casualty from Gujarat in five years because of CCHF was a cattle breeder.
WHO says: “Human-to-human transmission can occur resulting from close contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected persons. Hospital-acquired infections can also occur due to improper sterilization of medical equipment, reuse of needles and contamination of medical supplies.”
What are the symptoms of CCHF?
Once a person has been bitten by a tick carrying the CCHF virus, they will take between one and nine days to develop symptoms. This is called the incubation period of the virus. The common symptoms are fever, muscle pain, headache,stiffness and sore eyes. Raised heart rate,enlarged lymph nodes and rashes are common. Some patients who might develop complications can develop liver or lung failure.
What is the treatment of CCHF?
Treatment is largely symptomatic but there are also some antivirals that may be used. According to WHO: “Although an inactivated, mouse brain-derived vaccine against CCHF has been developed and used on a small scale in eastern Europe, there is currently no safe and effective vaccine widely available for human use.
In the absence of a vaccine, the only way to reduce infection in people is by raising awareness of the risk factors and educating people about the measures they can take to reduce exposure to the virus.”
