ONE of the world’s deadliest diseases has killed a man in a fresh outbreak.
He died after contracting Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF), which can cause patients’ eyes to bleed.
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In Namibia, officials have been trying to contain the spread of this tick-borne disease.
According to WHO, the disease can kill up to 40% of those infected.
About 27 of his contacts were tracked, and the bug is able to spread from one person to another via bodily fluids or blood.
24 of those who had contact with him in this bordering South African country were medical workers.
When the patient first presented to a Gobabis Clinic in the east of the country on 16 May, it was believed that he had the virus.
The Health Ministry released a press release stating that he was transferred to Windhoek Central Hospital where he passed away on 18 May.
Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, light sensitivity, and dizziness. Organ failure can result.
First discovered in Crimea (now Africa), it is also found in Balkans countries, Middle East, and certain Asian countries.
Namibia recorded six CCHF cases since 2016 with a combined three deaths.
In April one case of the disease was confirmed in Senegal, but recent outbreaks have been rare in Africa.
Since the beginning of this year, at least 13 Iraqis have been killed by a tick-borne virus that is transmitted from animals to humans.
The WHO listed CCHF as one of nine “priority diseases” that pose the biggest threat to public health on Tuesday.
What are symptoms of Crimean Congo Haemorrhagic Fever?
The following symptoms are associated with Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic disease:
- Fever
- Muscle Ache
- Neck stiffness and pain
- Backache
- Headache
- Eyes that are sore
- Dizziness
- Light sensitivity
- Vomiting
- Nausea
- Diarrhoea
- A pain in the abdominal area
- A sore throat
Source: WHO
The limited treatment options and the potential for a pandemic made them the most dangerous.
Hyalomma ticks are the primary carriers of this disease, and they do not exist in Britain.
The disease was found in a Cambridge woman last year who had returned from Central Asia.
This comes on the heels of new warnings regarding a separate diphtheria outbreak that has claimed three lives in Britain.
According to UK Health Security Agency, the disease has become more contagious in recent years.
In England, toxic diphtheria cases increased from 10 to 87 in 2022. This is a significant increase over the previous year’s 10.