With the arrival of good weather, watch out for ticks and in particular giant ticks which are gaining ground in France, they can carry the disease Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever. This tick hyalomma marginatum is twice as big as a typical tick, it can measure up to 8 mm. It can also be recognized by its two-tone legs. Native to certain regions of Africa, the North, Turkey, the Balkans and more recently established in Spain and Italy, this large tick can be transported by birds, to which it clings. It has established itself in the south of France, where it has been spotted in 11 departments. The Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur, Corsica, and Occitanie regions are particularly affected. If the situation concerns the health authorities on Tuesday June 18, it is because this tick can not only transmit Lyme diseasebut also another virus called Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus.
Symptoms of this disease are usually flu-like symptoms and digestive problems, but in rare cases this disease can escalate and cause bleeding. No treatment has been proven effective at this stage, hence the importance of prevention. Let us specify that in France, at this stage, no human case has been identified, but the tick and the virus having both been detected in the territory, there is a possibility of emergence of this disease in France, recently recalled the ANRS, the National Agency for Research on Emerging Infectious Diseases. It would not be a major epidemic, but perhaps a situation similar to Spain with one to three cases per year.
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**Advice to protect yourself
The instructions for protecting yourself from risks are the same as for classic ticks: protect yourself with closed shoes and covering clothing when you hike in the forest or in tall grass, inspect your body when you sit or lie down in the grass in a park or garden or after gardening work, and remove any ticks that may have attached to the skin. Most of the time, the bites are without consequences, but beyond the still little widespread Crimean-Congo fever virus, one in six ticks also carries the bacteria responsible for Lyme disease. If a red spot appears on the skin a few days after the bite, it is advisable to consult a doctor. Antibiotic treatments help limit lesions on the skin or possible muscle problems.
