CCHF

• Europe is currently experiencing a heatwave and widespread wildfires, leading to concerns about the spread of viruses typically found in warmer climates.
• The World Health Organization (WHO) has sounded the alert about the Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF), a tick-borne infection with a high fatality rate.

2. Key Points

• CCHF is endemic to regions such as Africa, the Balkan countries, the Middle East, and parts of Asia.
• While the first European fatality from CCHF was reported in Spain in 2016, scientists are now warning of its northward and westward spread in Europe, according to Horizon, a publication focused on European Union-funded research.
• Cases have been reported in Spain, Russia, Turkey, and the UK.
• In India, Gujarat has reported the majority of CCHF cases. Last month, one person in Gujarat succumbed to the disease.

3. About CCHF

• CCHF is a viral haemorrhagic fever primarily transmitted by ticks.
• It can also be contracted through contact with viraemic animal tissues during and immediately after the slaughter of animals.
• CCHF outbreaks pose a threat to public health due to their potential for epidemics, high case-fatality ratio (10-40%), and difficulty in prevention and treatment, as stated by the WHO.

4. Transmission and Hosts

• The virus primarily resides in ticks, with animals like cattle, goats, sheep, and hares serving as amplifying hosts.
• Transmission to humans occurs through contact with infected ticks or animal blood.
• Additionally, CCHF can be transmitted from one infected human to another through contact with infectious blood or body fluids.
• Migratory birds can also host ticks, contributing to the long-distance spread of the virus.

Image Source: CDC

5. Symptoms and Treatment

• Symptoms of CCHF include fever, muscle aches, dizziness, neck and back pain, headache, sore eyes, and sensitivity to light.
• Early stages may present with nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, and sore throat, followed by mood swings and confusion.
• As the infection progresses, agitation may give way to sleepiness, depression, and lassitude.
• Currently, there is no vaccine for CCHF in humans or animals, and treatment primarily focuses on managing symptoms.
• The antiviral drug ribavirin has shown apparent benefits in treating CCHF infection, according to the WHO.

6. Climate Change and Disease Spread

• Climate change is a contributing factor to the expansion of diseases into new geographies.
• Warmer temperatures create more favourable conditions for pathogens previously restricted to different regions.
• Regarding CCHF ticks are moving up through Europe due to climate change, facilitated by longer and drier summers.

7. Impact of Climate Change on Disease Spread

• Climate change affects disease spread through various mechanisms.
• Warmer temperatures expand the habitat of ticks and other insects, providing them with extended reproduction periods.
• Changes in water habitats also influence disease transmission, and shifts in animal populations bring them into contact with new areas and people.

8. Conclusion

• CCHF is a serious disease that can be fatal. However, several things can be done to prevent the spread of the disease.
• By being aware of the risks and taking precautions, we can help to protect ourselves from CCHF.