By NewsDesk  @infectiousdiseasenews

The World Health Organization (WHO) reports a confirmed case of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) in a 16-year-old girl from Kikuube District.

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The case was confirmed by PCR on April 28 and the patient has been isolated at Kasonga. The girl is from a village well known for rearing animals such as goats and cows.

Seven contacts have so far been listed and are due for sampling.

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever is a widespread disease caused by a tick-borne virus (Nairovirus) of the Bunyaviridae family. The CCHF virus causes severe viral hemorrhagic fever outbreaks, with a case fatality rate of 10–40%.

Animals become infected by the bite of infected ticks and the virus remains in their bloodstream for about one week after infection, allowing the tick-animal-tick cycle to continue when another tick bites. Although a number of tick genera are capable of becoming infected with CCHF virus, ticks of the genus Hyalomma are the principal vector.

The CCHF virus is transmitted to people either by tick bites or through contact with infected animal blood or tissues during and immediately after slaughter. The majority of cases have occurred in people involved in the livestock industry, such as agricultural workers, slaughterhouse workers and veterinarians. Human-to-human transmission is possible.