The viral disease is usually transmitted by ticks and animals in countries where it is endemic. This is only the third time a case has been reported in the United Kingdom. The patient was diagnosed at the NHS Institute of Cambridge University Hospitals and is now receiving specialist care at the Royal Free Hospital in London. Dr Susan Hopkins, chief medical consultant at UKHSA, said the virus “does not spread easily between humans and the overall risk to the public is very low”. Two cases were reported in 2012 and 2014, none of which spread. Hopkins said the agency was working to contact people who were in close contact with the woman to evaluate them and give them advice. He added: “The UKHSA and the NHS have established and robust infection control procedures to deal with cases of imported infectious disease and these will be strictly adhered to.” According to the World Health Organization, about 30% of patients die, usually in the second week of infection. For those who recover, improvement generally begins on the ninth or tenth day after the onset of the illness. Symptoms of the virus appear suddenly and include fever, muscle aches, dizziness, neck pain and stiffness, back pain, headache, eye pain and sensitivity to light. From an early age, people may also experience nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and sore throat, followed by severe mood swings and confusion. Other signs include a rash in the mouth and throat, a fast heartbeat and enlarged lymph nodes. Dr Sir Michael Jacobs, infectious disease consultant at the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Royal Free Hospital is a specialist center for treating patients with viral infections such as Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever. “Our high-level isolation unit is run by a team of specialist doctors, nurses, therapists and laboratory staff and is designed to ensure that we can safely treat patients with this type of infection.” A type of tick known as the Hyalomma tick is the main vector. These are not established in the UK and the virus has never been detected in ticks in the country. According to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control, the infected ticks are found in North Africa, Asia and southern and eastern Europe. The disease was diagnosed in 1944 in the Crimea and was named Crimean Hemorrhagic Fever. After it was recognized in 1969 that the same organism was causing a disease found in 1956 in the Congo, it was renamed the Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever.
