A case of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) was reported in Senegal's capital Dakar. The Senegal Health Ministry confirmed the case, according to reports.
Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) in Dakar
The case of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever was detected on April 21 in the Dalal Jamm hospital in Guediawaye, the health ministry said in a statement late Saturday, US News reported. A health emergency task force has been assigned to oversee the incident.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the tick-borne CCHF virus can spread between people through close contact with blood or body fluids. The death rate ranges from 10% to 40%.
The symptoms of CCHF, which are endemic to Africa, the Balkans, the Middle East, and some Asian nations, include fever, muscle aches, disorientation, light sensitivity, vomiting, and internal bleeding. It was initially discovered in 1944 in the Crimea.
The breadth of recent outbreaks in Africa has been constrained. The biggest recent outbreak was discovered in Mauritania in 2003, when 35 cases and six fatalities were reported, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2011, there were 17 cases and five fatalities in South Africa.
What Is Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever?
According to WHO, numerous domestic and wild animals, including cattle, sheep, and goats, are hosts for the CCHF virus. Ostriches are sensitive to illness and may exhibit a high prevalence of infection in endemic locations, where they have been the source of human cases.
While many birds are immune to infection, ostriches are not. For instance, a South African slaughterhouse for ostriches once experienced an outbreak. These animals don't appear to have any diseases.
When an infected tick bites an animal, the virus enters circulation and stays there for roughly a week. It allows the tick-animal-tick cycle to continue when another tick bites.
Ticks of the genus Hyalomma are the principal vector, but several tick genera can also be infected with the CCHF virus.
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Signs and Symptoms of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shared the common signs and symptoms when infected with CCHF.
Early indications and symptoms of CCHF include a headache, a high temperature, back discomfort, joint pain, stomach pain, and vomiting. It's typical to have red eyes, flushed skin, a sore throat, and petechiae (red patches) on the palate. Jaundice and, in more serious situations, alterations in mood and sensory perception are other symptoms that might occur.
Large regions of severe bruising, acute nosebleeds, and uncontrolled bleeding at injection sites can be observed as the sickness worsens; these symptoms start to appear around the fourth day of the illness and remain for almost two weeks.
The method of virus acquisition affects how long the incubation period lasts. The incubation period following a tick bite infection typically lasts one to three days but can last up to nine days. With a known maximum of 13 days, the incubation period after contact with contaminated blood or tissues typically lasts five to six days.
Hospitalized patients' death rates during known CCHF outbreaks have ranged from 9% to 50%. There has not been sufficient research on survivors' long-term effects of CCHF infection.
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