Irish holidaymakers have been warned after a young woman died of a hemorrhagic eye in a European country, reports The Mirror.
A 27-year-old patient from North Macedonia with Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF), transmitted by ticks.
According to the World Health Organization, this deadly disease kills up to 40% of those infected.
The unidentified woman is suspected to have contracted the infection after being bitten on July 19 while visiting a steppe in the eastern part of the country, the Mirror reported.
The Institute of Public Health of the Republic of North Macedonia said she was hospitalized four days later, reports The Mirror.
She developed flu-like symptoms which later worsened. Symptoms of CCHF include fever, muscle aches, dizziness, sensitivity to light, and feeling unwell. This can lead to organ failure and internal bleeding. The woman died on July 27.
The disease was first identified in Crimea in 1944 and is now endemic in Africa, the Balkans, the Middle East and some Asian countries, reports The Mirror.
Symptoms of CCHF
Symptoms of the virus include headache, high fever, back and joint pain, abdominal pain and vomiting. Red eyes, flushed face, flushed throat, and petechiae (red patches) on the palate are also common.
In severe cases, warns the WHO, jaundice, changes in mood and sensory perception occur. As the disease progresses, there are severe bruising at the injection site, severe nosebleeds, and uncontrollable bleeding, starting on the fourth day of the disease and lasting about two weeks, reports The Mirror.
How does it spread?
According to the WHO, human-to-human transmission can occur through “close contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected persons”, reports The Mirror.
Very worryingly, there is currently no vaccine available for humans or animals infected with this disease.
CCHF is transmitted to humans through tick bites or through contact with the blood or tissue of infected animals shortly after slaughter.
Reported deaths
Iraq reportedly fought a major battle with the disease last year, recording 212 cases from January 1 to May 22. Of these, 169 were reported between April and May alone. Agence France-Presse added in May that Iraq has so far recorded nearly 100 additional cases – and 13 deaths – in 2023.
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