Crimean Congo fever in Iran

So far, various types of common diseases between humans and animals have been discovered in the world. In order to prevent and control any problem in contact with livestock, protective measures must be taken. Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever is known as a very acute viral disease that first begins through the bite of a tick called hyaloma. The cycle of transmission of this disease can simply continue from animal to human or even from human to human. This disease is highly fatal. Unfortunately, no vaccine to control it has entered the world’s treatment system. People who work with animals or hospital staff are more at risk. Currently, the best way to fight this disease is self-care and the use of ribavirin drugs. In this article, you will learn more about Crimean-Congo fever and its ways of transmission.

What is Crimean Congo fever?

Crimean-Congo fever is a hemorrhagic disease associated with high fever. This disease is considered a viral disease. The main carrier of this virus is a tick called Hyaloma. With the bite of this tick, the disease starts and enters the transmission cycle. The transmission of Crimean-Congo fever is very easy and it easily circulates between humans and animals. This disease is more common in sub-Saharan Africa, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, India and Western China. It is better to know that due to easy transmission, this disease is observed among livestock farmers, veterinarians and veterinary workers, slaughterhouses, butchers and slaughterhouse workers, doctors, nurses and hospital workers, farmers and people who deal with livestock.

There are no specific signs or symptoms in the appearance of meat or animals in case of Crimean-Congo fever.

Symptoms of Crimean Congo fever

A person who gets this disease in any way has certain symptoms. Unfortunately, almost 30% of these people die after being infected. It is good to know that the onset of symptoms is sudden, accompanied by fever, muscle pain, dizziness, neck pain, back pain, headache, eye pain and sensitivity to light. Of course, before the onset of fever, there may be digestive problems such as: vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain, followed by severe fluctuations and confusion.

Other clinical signs include rapid heart rate, Lymphadenopathy and skin rash. Patients may also experience rapid kidney problems, sudden liver failure, or lung failure after the fifth day of illness. The incubation period of this disease is 1 to 3 days.

How Crimean Congo fever is transmitted

You may feel stressed when you hear the name of viral hemorrhagic fever and you are looking for a way to deal with the transmission of this disease. First of all, you need to know how Crimean Congo fever is transmitted. We have mentioned some of the most important ways of transferring it:

Contact with an infected animal

Contact with infected livestock is considered the most important way of transmission of Crimean Congo fever. Animals such as cows, sheep, goats and ostriches are very vulnerable to this disease. Therefore, people who are in contact with these animals should be more careful about this issue. For example, when milking an animal in the traditional way and contacting the animal’s body, the tick can enter the human body.

Infected animal feces

The feces of an animal infected with this viral disease can also be one of the ways to transmit this disease to humans. In such a way that when the employees of a slaughterhouse or livestock farmers in general start cleaning the barn environment, they do so regardless of protective measures. In case of any contact with the feces of an infected animal, the virus can be transmitted to the human body.

Contact with fresh meat of an infected animal

You may have heard a lot that butchers or slaughterhouses are infected with this disease when slaughtering animals. The method of transmission of Crimean-Congo fever is created in this way as simply as possible. When these people do not take protective measures when slaughtering or chopping animal meat, the disease is transmitted to a person with the slightest contact of infected animal blood with human skin.

Consumption of fresh meat from infected animals

Regarding the transmission of Crimean Congo fever, we must say that eating cooked meat cannot be one of these ways of transmission. But you need to know that the virus is destroyed at temperatures below zero degrees. Therefore, it is recommended to keep the meat in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours before consuming it to ensure the death of the possible virus.

Consumption of contaminated raw liver

Eating raw liver is seen in many places. For example, some people find raw liver very useful. But it is good to know that consuming the raw liver of an animal infected with this virus can be considered one of the easiest ways to transmit Crimean Congo fever to humans. Therefore, if you are not willing to cook the liver under any circumstances, it is good to put the liver in the refrigerator for 48 hours. This will kill the virus.

Killing insects on the skin

If this tick is present in the environment around your livestock, it can be directly on your skin while handling the livestock. It is better to pay attention to the fact that by killing the insect on your skin, you will quickly transfer the virus to your body. It is good to gently push the single insect away from you and use special chemicals to kill it.

Contact with blood and infectious secretions of infected people

Contact with the blood of infected people is known as the mode of human-to-human transmission of Crimean-Congo fever. This usually happens to hospital staff. This means that during the treatment or even cleaning of the sanitary environment of these people, the hospital staff have direct and accidental contact with the blood, secretions or feces of the infected person. This issue can quickly cause the virus to be transmitted to another person.

Transmission of disease from pregnant mother to child

In some recent medical articles, they mentioned that if the pregnant mother gets this disease, the virus will also be transmitted to the fetus through the placenta. Of course, this issue is still under investigation and more information is not available about the subsequent conditions of pregnancy and the fetus.

Use of common syringe

Just as the use of shared syringes between people is considered the cause of transmission of many diseases, this movement can also be the way of transmission of Crimean Congo fever. If a person is infected with this virus, he will transfer his secretions or blood to the syringe using a syringe. When another person uses the same syringe, he immediately transfers the virus to his body.

After slaughtering or sacrificing the meat, you should keep it for 24 hours and the liver for 48 hours in the refrigerator before using it, so that the disease of Crimean Congo fever is not transmitted.

Strategies to prevent the transmission of Crimean Congo fever

Now that you know how Crimean Congo fever is transmitted, it is good to know the methods of self-protection and prevention of its transmission. If you take good care of yourself, even if you come into contact with an infected animal or an infected person, you can continue your work safely. Here we have mentioned some self-care methods for people who are more at risk of developing this disease.

• Use gloves and other protective clothing when handling animals or their tissues in endemic areas, especially when slaughtering in butchers and slaughterhouses or at home.
• Use approved insecticides (chemicals to kill ticks) on clothing to never get a bug on your skin.
• Wear protective clothing such as long sleeves and long pants when dealing with animals or sick people under any circumstances.
• Always seek to eliminate or control tick infestations on animal bodies or in the environment of stables and warehouses.
• Wear light-colored clothing so you can easily spot any unusual clothing issues.
• Avoid entering the areas where ticks are abundant and the season when they are most active.
• Meat that is slaughtered in an industrial slaughterhouse has a veterinary label and seal. Be sure to buy meat from reliable centers.

Treatment of Crimean Congo fever

If, for any reason, knowing how Crimean-Congo fever is transmitted and taking care of yourself, it is better to go to the medical center immediately and undergo various tests. Fortunately, today the treatment is largely responsive to patients. If detected in the early stages, the death of the infected person can be prevented. The famous antiviral drug used for this disease is called ribavirin.

final word

There are different types of viral and bacterial diseases common between humans and animals. Crimean-Congo fever is one of these acute diseases that causes severe problems and causes death in 30% of cases. The transmission of Crimean Congo fever is very simple and if it is not controlled in the initial cycle, it can cause problems for many people. Transmission of this disease can be done through tick bites, contact with infected animals, contact with the blood and secretions of a sick person, and use of fresh meat from sick animals. Since there is still no vaccine to deal with this disease, the best thing to do is self-care.