CRIMEAN-CONGO HEMORRHAGIC FEVER – INDIA: (GUJARAT) FATAL
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org
Date: Wed 29 Jan 2025 04:43 IST
Source: The Times of India (TOI), Times News Network (TNN) [edited]
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/rajkot/jamnagar-man-dies-of-crimean-congo-haemorrhagic-fever/articleshow/117649612.cms
A 51-year-old resident of the Pancheshwar Tower area of Jamnagar
[district in Gujarat state] died on Monday [27 Jan 2025] from
Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF). His sample had been sent to
the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune, which confirmed the
CCHF infection.
Dr S S Chatterjee, nodal officer for infectious diseases in Jamnagar,
told TOI, “The patient was admitted to GG Hospital on January 21
[2025] and his samples were sent to Pune the next day [22 Jan 2025].
Human-to-human transmission of this disease is rare. CCHF is a
tick-borne disease and affects those who are engaged in animal
husbandry.
“Family members of the deceased have no symptoms. A team from the
Jamnagar Municipal Corporation visited the family, educated them about
the disease, and asked them to immediately report to the hospital if
they develop symptoms.” A team of veterinary officers also visited the
family of the deceased, took samples, and started anti-tick
operations. They informed the family of measures to be taken while
dealing with animals.
Dr Nilam Patel, additional director (public health) of the state
health department, told TOI that transmission most likely took place
from animal to human through ticks. “The deceased was involved in
farming and animal husbandry. While no other cases have come to light
in the past few days, we have launched an intensive drive to find
infected animals and have asked the local administration to find
people in the local population with symptoms associated with CCHF,” he
said.
Some of the tell-tale signs of CCHF are high-grade fever, muscular
pain, dizziness, pain in the eye socket, sensitivity to light, upset
stomach and diarrhoea.
The first case of CCHF in India was recorded in Gujarat in 2011. The
last time a CCHF outbreak was recorded was in 2023, when a person from
Kutch district tested positive for CCHF.