In recent months, an increase in cases of hemorrhagic fever originating from Crimea-Congo transmitted by ticks has been spotted in Europe. A virus which has reached regions in which it was not circulating before, notably in France since the end of 2023. Here are 3 simple actions which allow you to protect yourself from the transmission of the disease.
If we have learned to be careful when it comes to ticks and the transmission of Lyme disease with the numerous campaigns aimed at the general public in recent years, this is much less the case with this new virus coming straight from Crimea-Congo: the hemorrhagic fever virus. If in recent months an increase in cases of this virus has been observed in Europe, it reached the south of France when last October, Public Health France identified the presence of striped legged ticks at the origin of the disease. .
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After dengue, chikungunya, and the Zika virus, diseases transmitted by insects or arachnids that feed on blood do not stop there. Indeed, on October 24, 2023 we learned that a new virus originating from Crimea-Congo transmitted by Hyalomma ticks was recognized in cattle farms in the south of the country. If until now only one case of importation of the disease had been detected in France in a person coming from Senegal, this discovery opened eyes to the emergence of this new disease hitherto unknown in the country.
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The hemorrhagic fever virus already present in Europe
If France had not yet been affected by a contraction of the disease in the country, this had been the case in several other European countries, notably in Spain. A disease discovered for the first time in 1944 in Crimea then in 1969 after a strong epidemic in Congo giving it its name Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever. If we know that this disease is transmitted by the Hyalomma tick or striped legged tick, how does it spread? Native to Asia and Africa, these ticks are carried by migratory birds.
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These mites have been present in the Mediterranean region for years, particularly in Corsica since the 1950s, but climate changes in recent years as well as global warming have favored their expansion and development. Unlike other ticks we know, the striped-legged tick is an active hunter. In their adult form, they are more likely to be detected on large mammals such as cattle, sheep or even equines, whereas in their larval or nymphal state, it is more likely on animals such as hedgehogs, hares, rabbits, rats, mice that they will find.
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How is this virus transmitted and how can you protect yourself?
It is simply through an infected tick which will then feed on the blood of the host that the virus can in turn pass into the blood. Another mode of transmission is possible between ticks when an exchange of saliva occurs on the same bite point or when the larvae hatch (they have the power of transmission). A human can become infected when they come into contact with the ecosystem in which these Hyalomma ticks live, including a bite or through biological fluids or blood from infected mammals. Note that the virus can also be transmitted more commonly between humans, by coming into contact with the blood or body fluids of an infected person as well as in rarer cases via inert surfaces or contaminated materials, sexual route, maternal-fetal route or by aerosolization of droplets.
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With a peak in contamination between the months of April and July, the classic incubation is between 2 and 14 days (average of 5 days). If 80% of infected people are only affected by flu-like symptoms or even no symptoms, the remaining 20% can lead to severe cases as well as hospitalizations with a fatality rate for these forms which is between 5 and 40%. While it is important to isolate the detected patient and quickly treat their symptoms, there are certain fairly simple actions to protect yourself from contamination:
- If you go to an area where ticks may be present, wear high, closed shoes and clothing that provides good coverage, such as tucking your pants into your socks.
- In nature, choose marked paths and do not hesitate to use skin repellents.
- When you return from your walk, always remember to inspect your body more precisely at the level of the folds as well as at the base of the scalp.
The people? A whole world! Passionate about media, networks, series, films, and investigative investigations of all kinds, Jessica naturally turned to writing and takes…
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