An elderly man has died from a rare but serious tick-borne illness called Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) in a hospital in central Greece.
The man who was over 70 years old was worked as a livestock farmer in a village near Larissa in Thessaly. He was hospitalized at the University Hospital of Larissa with a seriously deteriorating clinical picture and eventually lost his life.
According to Greece’s National Public Health Organization (EODY), the CCHF disease is transmitted through tick bites or through contact with bodily fluids or secretions of infected humans or animals.
The Crimean-Congo disease is caused by a virus spread mainly through the bite of infected ticks or contact with infected animals. Symptoms usually start within two weeks and can include fever, headache, muscle pain, tiredness, stomach pain and vomiting. In severe cases, it can cause bleeding and organ failure. There is no specific cure, and the illness has a high mortality.
Health officials warn people who spend time outdoors, – especially farmers, hunters and hikers – to protect themselves from tick bites by wearing proper clothing and checking for ticks regularly.
This is only the second known case in Greece since 2008 specifically in Thrace, north-eastern Greece.
Some TV channels claimed that also one doctor at the Larissa hospital has developed CCHF symptoms, however, this information has not been officially confirmed, so far.
More information about protection measures at EODY website HERE in Greek.
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