Experts have warned against the dangers posed by ticks amid the arrival of summer and rising temperatures,
Professor Nurcan Baykam, Vice Rector of Hitit University and member of the Infectious Diseases Department at the Faculty of Medicine, stated that ticks have started appearing as the weather warmed up with the onset of summer and warned citizens to be cautious against Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF).
Baykam told Anadolu Agency (AA) that CCHF cases have started appearing in some provinces, especially Çorum, as the weather warms up.
He stated that the first CCHF case in Türkiye was identified in 2003. "Especially with the onset of warm weather, the risk of CCHF increases in our country as a result of the awakening of ticks carrying the virus. Despite the late onset of summer, cases have already started being registered at hospitals."
Baykam stated Çorum is among the risky provinces when it comes to CCHF, therefore authorities have advanced experience as infectious diseases physicians in the city.
"We provide the best treatment and care services to patients. Given our experience in this field, we have also started several new research projects. CCHF has unknown aspects in diagnosis and treatment. We are at the forefront of the countries that conduct the most research specific to CCHF in the entire world. "
Baykam explained they collaborated with Koç University and a center in the United States on CCHF research.
"Our project and research studies continue. We continue these studies within the Tick-Related Diseases Application Research Center at the university. Our goal is to implement the best diagnosis and treatment methods for our patients."
Baykam pointed out that the CCHF virus can be transmitted to humans if they come into contact with ticks while removing ticks attached to animals, or via contact with the blood of an animal that was infected by a tick.
"The most important contamination factor is tick attachment. This is the most common way of transmission in our country. The best protection is to keep ticks away from the body. This can be achieved by properly covering up exposed parts of the body when heading to fields, gardens, and while coming into contact with animals. Tucking our pants in boots or socks is a method that can lead to ticks crawling up (via our clothes)," he said.
"It is important to wear light colors in order to sight ticks, and scan the body for ticks upon returning home."
Baykam emphasized that as long as the tick is attached to the body and sucks blood, it transfers the virus, and so it is important to detect the tick attachment as soon as possible.
Baykam pointed out that touching the tick with bare hands has risks.
"When people remove the tick, they see or remove it from the animal with bare hands, the tick shines, blood may come into contact with the bare hands and this can lead to possible infection. We have to take precautions," stressed Baykam, explaining that CCHF symptoms are like flu, cold and even COVID-19 symptoms.
"Fever, weakness, malaise, myalgia, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and redness and burning in the eyes are the most common symptoms. These findings can be confused with many diseases. Physicians should also consider CCHF when examining patients with such complaints in endemic regions."