Ahead of the upcoming Qurban Bayram, also known as Eid al-Adha, citizens are being warned to be cautious about Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF), a disease transmitted by ticks.
Erdoğan Öz, deputy director general of public health at the Ministry of Health, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that CCHF is an infection caused by a virus carried by ticks, which can be transmitted from animals to humans.
Öz emphasized that CCHF can be seen throughout Türkiye, but the disease is particularly concentrated in approximately 30 provinces covering northern Central Anatolia, the Central and Eastern Black Sea regions, and eastern Anatolia.
He drew attention to the increase in tick cases every spring and summer, saying: "As expected, we can encounter fatal cases during this period. When cases progress severely, they can result in death."
Describing the symptoms, Öz explained that the disease initially appears with flu-like symptoms such as fever, loss of appetite, weakness, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Other complaints include neck stiffness, dizziness, light sensitivity, throat and eye pain, making it seem like a common flu infection.
Öz stated that the virus is transmitted through contact with ticks and added: "Besides this, the disease can spread through contact with the body fluids, sweat, blood or tissues of a person or animal who has been exposed to ticks. Transmission happens when there is unprotected contact without gloves. Animals can carry ticks infected with the same virus that causes CCHF without showing any symptoms. Therefore, an animal you consider completely healthy may carry the virus due to ticks on its body."
He stressed the importance of removing ticks immediately if attached to the human body, advising: "You should never touch them with bare hands or try to kill them. They can be removed using tweezers. It is also possible to remove them with a plastic bag or a cloth. This procedure can be done even if the tick is on an animal. Protecting ourselves first is essential."
Öz called for heightened vigilance against CCHF, especially until the end of summer, emphasizing that since there is no treatment or vaccine, preventive measures must be followed.
He advised: "We should wear long clothes that cover our arms and bodies. For example, we can tuck our pants into our socks. After coming back from picnics, gardens or orchards, we need to check ourselves and our children, particularly behind the ears, underarms, groin and behind the knees for ticks. Wearing light-colored clothes when going to parks, gardens or picnic areas makes it easier to spot ticks."
Regarding the approaching Eid al-Adha, Öz emphasized caution during animal slaughter and meat processing, saying: "Ticks not only infect humans by attaching to their bodies. The disease can also be transmitted from infected people and animals. Therefore, during the slaughter, skinning, carcass cutting and meat separation, we must never touch the meat with our bare hands. Gloves must always be worn. After tick contact, symptoms appear within one to three days, with a maximum incubation period of nine days."
Öz also added, "If a person has been in contact with an infected individual or animal, symptoms generally emerge within five to six days and can last up to 13 days. When a tick bites the body, the person should monitor themselves for symptoms for at least 10 days."
