With the tick season picking up, the Health Security Agency has issued an alert against a possible emergence of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, a disease already present in Africa and Asia and which could develop in France. Vigilance is required against this disease, the fatality rate of which can reach 40%.
This is one of the threats of fine weather, watch out for ticks! Especially for the inhabitants of the South of France, where their sting can be formidable. The Health Security Agency warns against a possible emergence of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, a disease already present in Africa and Asia and which could develop in France. It is a disease similar to the flu, but the fatality rate varies between 10% and 40%.
“It can manifest as flu-like symptoms with digestive disorders. In some cases, it can worsen and result in hemorrhagic symptoms which can be fatal”, explains Elsa Quillery, scientific expertise coordinator at ANSES.
Present since 2015 on the coast
This disease is transmitted by a specific variety of ticks: the Hyalomma tick. And the latter has been present since 2015 in the South of France, on the Mediterranean coast. “It’s a tick that likes the dry and hot climate and the heat of climate change. It will be able to expand and colonize a new area that is favorable to it,” adds the coordinator.
ANSES therefore recommends being very vigilant about tick bites. “You really have to watch out for anything that may be fever and redness around the bite during walks. So wear closed shoes, covering clothes. These are ticks that are found more in the maquis, in the scrubland and not necessarily in the forest,” says Elsa Quillery. The Agency is also requesting the establishment of a monitoring system for this tick.
Source: Europe1
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