England Reports Case Of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever - Forbes

A woman in England has been diagnosed with Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic fever according to a new report from the U.K. Health Security Agency. The viral disease is spread by ticks and livestock animals in areas of the world where it is considered endemic. These include locations in Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the Balkans and the case in the U.K. was found in a woman who had recently returned from central Asia. It is not found in ticks in the U.K.

The symptoms of the disease can include fever, muscle pain, dizziness, sensitivity to light, abdominal pain and vomiting, as well as mood swings, aggression and confusion in more advanced disease. The disease is serious, with a fatality rate of up to 40% in infected individuals, but is not easily transmitted between people. Although in Spain in 2016, a man died of the disease, infecting a nurse caring from him in the process.

Dr. Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Advisor at The U.K. Health Security agency (UKHSA) said in a statement that "the overall risk to the public is very low," adding that anyone who had close contact with the infected individual was being contacted.

"UKHSA and the NHS have well established and robust infection control procedures for dealing with cases of imported infectious disease and these will be strictly followed" added Hopkins.

The patient is being treated at the Royal Free Hospital in Central London, which is a specialist center for treating patients with dangerous viral infections. There is no vaccine for the virus in either humans or animals and the standard treatment is mainly supportive care, ensuring control of fluid balance, electrolytes and oxygen as well as treatment of any secondary infections that may occur. There is an antiviral drug which has reportedly shown some benefit in patients, but the evidence in support of it is controversial.