London: The deadly Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is soon set to spread to the UK, according to a media report.
The disease spread through ticks is rapidly charging towards the UK due to climate change, the Mirror reported. According to The World Health Organisation (WHO), CCHF has a mortality rate of up to 40 per cent and is difficult to prevent or treat as it spreads by ticks or animal tissue. It is also on the WHO’s list of ‘priority’ diseases.
CCHF is found in eastern Europe and now France. It affected hundreds and caused deaths in Iraq and Pakistan. The virus also penetrated Namibia and Spain. The UK Parliament's Science, Innovation and Technology Committee revealed it is "highly likely" that there could soon be cases in the UK.
An urgent health warning describes CCHF “as the current biggest threat to public health”, the report said. The virus' symptoms include headaches, high fever, back and joint pain, stomach ache, and vomiting. Also, red eyes, a flushed face, a red throat, and petechiae (red spots) on the palate are common.
The WHO warned that jaundice, mood swings and sensory perception are common in severe cases. As the illness progresses, large areas of severe bruising and nosebleeds, and uncontrolled bleeding at injection sites can be seen, beginning on about the fourth day of illness and lasting for about two weeks.
In documented outbreaks of CCHF, fatality rates in hospitalized patients ranged from nine per cent to as high as 50 per cent. The long-term effects of CCHF infection have not been studied well enough in survivors to determine whether or not specific complications exist. However, recovery is slow, the report said. According to the WHO, human-to-human transmission can occur by “close contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected persons”. Currently, there is no vaccine available for either people or animals infected by the disease. (With agency inputs)
