| A 22 year old soldier serving near Kabul, Afganistan, | | | | It is frequently a self-limiting disease in sporadic cases |
| has passed away after contracting the virus from a | | | | but under epidemic conditions fatality may be as high |
| tick bite. | | | | as 50%. |
| The soldier from River Falls, Alabama, may be the | | | | After a incubation of 3-6 days the patient |
| first soldier who contracted the virus according to a | | | | experiences a sudden onset of fever, headache, |
| relative. "We have heard that he was going out into | | | | chills, and body aches. Red eyes, a flushed face, a |
| the countryside with some goat herdsmen, and he | | | | red throat, and petechiae (red spots) on the palate |
| picked it up there." | | | | are common. |
| He was transferred to a hospital in Germany where | | | | In about 25% of cases, hemorrhage can occur with |
| he had been in a coma for 5 days and on dialysis. He | | | | severe nosebleeds and bruising. Treatment is based |
| finally passed away from a heart attack last | | | | on supportive care. |
| Wednesday. | | | | People that work with susceptible animals are at risk |
| Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (C-CHF) is a tick | | | | for C-CHF. Health care workers are also at risk due |
| borne viral infection found widely in Africa, Asia, the | | | | to transmission through blood and possible airborne |
| former USSR, eastern Europe and the Middle East. | | | | transmission. |
| The C-CHF virus circulates between wild and | | | | There is no vaccine for C-CHF. Preventive measures |
| domestic animals; sheep, goats, cattle and hares, and | | | | are using DEET insect repellant and other methods to |
| are transmitted to humans by the bite from the | | | | prevent tick bites. |
| Hyalomma tick bite. | | | | |