Teen infected with CCHF in South Kazakhstan
A teen from South Kazakhstan oblast has been diagnosed with Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF), Tengrinews reports citing the press office of the Regional Consumer Rights Department.
On July 21, a 14-year-old teenager came to a local hospital feeling sick after being bitten by a tick on July 15. The boy removed the tick himself and did not go to the hospital until he started feeling bad. He was transferred to the Regional Hospital after the tests confirmed CCHF.
At the moment, the boy’s condition is considered satisfactory. It has been the fourth confirmed case of CCHF in the region since the beginning of the year. Earlier, on July 18 a resident of Yenbekshi District was hospitalised with similar symptons. The man said that a couple days before he removed a tick from his hip. After being diagnosed with CCHF, the patient was transferred to a hospital in Shymkent. He is currently under doctor’s supervision at the hospital and his condition is considered satisfactory.
Since the beginning of the year, there have been 24 patients with suspected CCHF infection. In two years there have not been a single lethal case.
“Last year there were 4,435 tick bites registered. This year, thanks to the chemical control, there have been 3,003 cases,” the Department reported.
According to WHO, CCHF is a common virus “primarily transmitted to people from ticks and livestock animals”. Although there is no vaccination available, the antiviral drug ribavirin is used to treat bitten patients. CCHF has a mortality rate from 10% to 40%.
By Gyuzel Kamalova