Serious Diseases We Can Get From Animals

Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF)

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever is a viral disease that infects individuals through the bites of infected ticks. It can spread through contact with infected patients and contact with tissue or blood from viremic livestock.

The onset is sudden with initial symptoms such as high fever, stomach, joint and back pain, and vomiting. Common symptoms include changes in sensory perception and mood, a red throat, red spots on the palate, red eyes and in severe cases include jaundice. As the illness progresses, severe nose bleeds, bruising, and uncontrolled bleeding at injection sites can be seen, usually starting on the fourth day of the illness and lasts for about two weeks. The antiviral drug ribavirin is used to treat human disease in South Africa. However, recovery is often slow.

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