Dorothy FarrarCrimean-Congo fever
Crimean -Congo fever is an often fatal, highly contagious viral disease. It is mainly transmitted by tick bites in affected areas. Infection through contact with infected people or animals is also possible.
What is Crimean-Congo fever?
The Crimean-Congo fever is caused by viruses that enter the human organism, settle there and multiply. The disease-causing virus was first isolated from human blood in 1956 in an area that is now part of the Republic of the Congo.
At about the same time, cases of the disease became known on the Crimean peninsula. This is why it is called Crimean-Congo fever, although the disease is widespread in many other areas. She performs in the Middle East as well as in other Asian countries and numerous African countries. The virus is also found in south-eastern Europe, including in Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey.
Causes
The pathogenic virus is one of the Bunya viruses. These viruses exist in grass-eating wild and domestic animals such as sheep, goats, cattle, rabbits and camels. The virus is mainly transmitted to humans by tick bites , which are often found in the fur of the animals mentioned. They ingest the virus in the animals’ blood and then transmit it to humans.Hyalomma ticks are the most common. They are characterized by white and brown striped legs. The virus can also be transmitted through direct contact with the blood or flesh of a diseased animal, for example during slaughter. The virus can also be transmitted between people by smear infection , i.e. through contact with infected body secretions such as blood, saliva, urine or stool. Droplet infection is also possible. People become infected by inhaling pathogen-containing air particles.
symptoms and course
Typical symptoms of Crimean-Congo fever:
Symptoms appear approximately three to ten days after exposure to the pathogen. The incubation period depends mainly on the route of transmission. In the case of transmission through the tick bite, the symptoms appear more quickly than in the case of transmission from person to person. Numerous signs can indicate an infection . Sudden onset of fever is often the first symptom of an illness. It stays constant for five to twelve days.
Chills, headaches and body aches, headaches, upper abdominal pain and enlarged lymph nodes are also typical signs of the disease. Increased irritability, mood swings, depression , nausea and vomiting as well as facial redness also indicate infection with the Congo-Crimean fever virus. In a few cases, the disease is asymptomatic. If the disease takes a hemorrhagic course, then from the third day after the onset of the disease there will be hemorrhage, skin bleeding and life-threatening internal bleeding.
In this case, the virus prevents the patient ‘s blood from clotting . This can lead to the death of the patient in the second week of the disease due to kidney, liver or circulatory failure . The lethality, i.e. mortality rate, of the disease is between 10 and 50 percent. It depends on both the strain of the virus and medical care. If the sufferer survives the second week of illness, recovery is very slow in most cases. This is often accompanied by complications such as vision and hearing damage, exhaustion and hair loss.
Diagnose
The disease is diagnosed by identifying the disease-causing virus in the patient’s blood. The virus can be detected directly or indirectly in specially designed laboratories. Indirect detection takes place via the identification of specific antibodies against the virus in the blood. These can be proven from the sixth day of illness. The direct detection of the virus is carried out using the PCR method. Because of the way it is transmitted by tick bites, the disease is sometimes confused with other infectious diseases transmitted by the same route.
complications
In any case, Crimean-Congo fever requires medical evaluation and treatment. Without treatment, the infectious disease can cause serious complications and, in extreme cases, be fatal. In addition to the typical flu symptoms, which in turn are associated with subsequent symptoms, the disease can also lead to skin bleeding and bloody vomiting . Intestinal bleeding as a result of spreading the pathogen can lead to anemia and, as a result, to severe deficiency symptoms. Prolonged vomiting puts the patient at risk of dehydration and dehydration.
Severe fluid loss can lead to impaired consciousness and neurological deficits. The patient’s resilience is reduced overall and mood swings occur, which can develop into pronounced depression in the case of corresponding previous illnesses.
In the treatment of Crimean-Congo fever, there are usually no major complications. Medications always carry certain risks. If the patient is allergic, allergic reactions to the preparations or the examination instruments can also occur. Rarely, an IV fluid can cause injury and infection.
treatment and therapy
Early treatment of Crimean-Congo fever has a positive effect on therapy and is desirable because of the high risk of infection. There is no specific therapy for treating Crimean-Congo fever. Treatment is therefore mainly symptomatic. This means that the symptoms are relieved with painkillers and antipyretics . It primarily aims to secure the vital functions of the organism.
Due to the risk of infection, sick people are initially treated in an isolation ward. As with other hemorrhagic fevers , the drug ribavirin is sometimes used for specific antiviral therapy. It has shown some effectiveness in fighting viruses. However, the effectiveness has to be examined more closely and cannot yet be conclusively assessed.
In addition, the drug works only in the early phase of the course of the disease. Treating and caring for patients with bleeding is extremely complicated and requires extensive precautions and medical knowledge. However, mild forms of the disease predominate. Only one in five people infected with the virus needs treatment.
prevention
There is currently no vaccine that protects against Crimean-Congo fever. To protect against tick bites, wearing long, light-colored trousers and long-sleeved tops is recommended. Areas of skin not covered by clothing should be rubbed with insect repellent. The body should be checked for ticks as regularly as possible.If a tick is discovered, it must be removed immediately and the wound disinfected. If you feel sick after a tick bite, you should see a doctor immediately. Appropriate precautions should be taken, especially in rural areas where there are many grass-eating livestock. The typical seaside tourist areas are rarely affected.
Hello and welcome to my Health Guide & Encyclopedia! My name is Dorothy Farrar, and I'm the founder and main author of this platform.
My passion for health and wellness started at a young age when I became interested in the connection between the food we eat and the way we feel. This fascination led me to study nutrition and dietetics in college, where I learned about the importance of a balanced diet and the impact of various nutrients on the body.