By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews
National Microbiology Center of Majadahonda (Madrid) with the ‘Carlos III’ Health Institute (computer translated) has confirmed the presence of the Crimean Congo virus in the samples sent corresponding to a male who died on Tuesday, August 11, at the Complex University Assistance of Salamanca.
The 69-year-old patient had been admitted to the ICU of the Salamanca Clinic on Monday, Aug 10, after going to the Hospital ‘Nuestra Señora del Castañar’, in Béjar, due to the worsening of the nonspecific symptoms that, days before, he had referred in a home consultation and for which he was in treatment.
In the hospital center, a blackish lesion is observed on one of his legs, in view of what his family environment reports that they had seen him remove a tick the week before.
Faced with this situation, as soon as the suspicion of a possible case of Crimean Congo virus infection was established, Public Health and in coordination with the healthcare field set up the protocol of action and coordination between the national and regional health authorities, with the sending of the analyzes that have given positive results to the FHCC and the adoption of the appropriate protection measures for health professionals.
The Epidemiology Section of the Territorial Health Service of the Junta de Castilla y León, in collaboration with the health professionals of the Salamanca University Assistance Complex, has identified the contacts of the affected person to indicate the follow-up to be carried out; in close contact, this consists of periodically monitoring your body temperature and communicating any change in your health status to your reference epidemiologist.
Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is caused by a virus, the main transmission mechanism of which is the bite of the tick of the genus ‘Hyalomma’, although it can also be transmitted from person to person through contact with blood or fluids of the patient, especially among healthcare personnel if they are not properly protected.
The General Directorate of Public Health of the Junta de Castilla y León maintains information available to the population and health professionals on risks, in order to avoid new infections as much as possible.
Regarding the prevention of tick bites, the health authorities recall the importance of wearing appropriate clothing and footwear during field trips, as well as traveling on the roads and using repellants for both people and pets. Likewise, we must insist that the ticks that may have been fixed must be removed as soon as possible and in an appropriate way, preferably by health professionals.
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This was the second case of CCHF reported in Spain this year. On 11 June 2020, public health authorities in the autonomous community of Castile-León reported a confirmed case of CCHF. The case was bitten by a tick at the end of May in Salamanca province and developed compatible symptoms in the days that followed.
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