Man dies after being bitten by deadly infection carrying tick in Spain

A MAN has died in Spain after being bitten by a tick while he was out hunting.

Blood tests confirmed the tick was carrying the Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF)) virus.

The 74-year-old man died in Avila after being bitten by the tick in Helechosa de los Montes, in the province of Badajoz.

CCHF outbreaks have a case fatality rate of up to 40% and there is no vaccine available for either people or animals.

The Ministry of Health of Castilla y Leon said it believed the man had been bitten while hunting in the forests of the area.

Doctors quickly implemented the protocols once the virus infection was confirmed but they could not save the man’s life.

Authorities have worked to identify possible contacts that the man might have had and are periodically monitoring their body temperatures and any changes in their usual state of health.

Human-to-human transmission can occur from close contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected persons.

The incubation period following contact with infected blood or tissues is usually five to six days, with a documented maximum of 13 days.

Onset of symptoms is sudden, with fever, myalgia, (muscle ache), dizziness, neck pain and stiffness, backache, headache, sore eyes and photophobia (sensitivity to light).
There may be nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain and sore throat early on, followed by sharp mood swings and confusion. After two to four days, the agitation may be replaced by sleepiness, depression and lassitude, and the abdominal pain may localize to the upper right quadrant, with detectable hepatomegaly (liver enlargement).