The Pyrénées-Orientales, Corsica, and perhaps all of the south of France… The Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus, a disease transmitted by ticks of the family Hyalomma marginatum, has been identified in France. After a first discovery in the Pyrénées-Orientales last October on cattle, the virus was again spotted on ticks on a farm in Corsica by a team of researchers from the University of Corte. A discovery published in the American journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, as explained Point. Although no human cases have been reported in France to date, the virus is probably already circulating in the southern regions of France.
“The result from Corsica only confirms that already found in the Pyrénées-Orientales: it means that the virus is established in a lasting manner, not only in Corsica, but also in mainland France,” explains Sylvain Baize, director of the national center reference for hemorrhagic fevers at the Institut Pasteur. Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever is endemic in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, and is already present in some countries in Eastern and Southern Europe, notably Spain, where several deaths have been recorded.
“Not surprising that there are cases in France”
If the virus has not yet been spotted in other French departments, the Alpes-Maritimes, Var, Gard, Hérault and Ardèche are particularly at risk. “Just look where the tick Hyalomma marginatum is installed, that is to say all around the Mediterranean. So the virus is already probably almost everywhere” in these regions, warns Sylvain Baize. Especially since infected ticks, carried by migratory birds from Africa, are surviving better and better in these southern regions. due to global warming Therefore, “it would not be at all surprising if there were cases in France”, says the researcher at the Pasteur Institute.
While the virus has no consequences in infected animals, in humans, an infection can be fatal in 30 to 40% of cases. In addition to the tick bite, the disease can be transmitted directly from cattle to humans during direct contact with the blood of an infected animal, although this remains much rarer.
No vaccine yet
If the mortality rate in humans is so high, it is because the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus is quite difficult to detect, and there is currently no vaccine or treatment. Most infected people have fairly common symptoms (headaches, fatigue, abdominal pain, muscle pain, etc.). But in the most serious cases, the patient develops much more severe clinical signs, such as vomiting, diarrhea, as well as subcutaneous bruising, representative of the disease. Added to this are bleeding from the nose, gums, or even the digestive tract. Which can lead to the death of the infected person.
However, a few simple actions can limit the risk of a tick bite. ANSES recommends wearing closed shoes and covering clothing, particularly in the forest, avoiding walking in tall grass and inspecting yourself carefully when returning home. In the event of a bite, quickly remove the tick using a tick remover or fine tweezers, disinfect the wound then monitor the area for several days. If you experience symptoms, do not hesitate to consult your doctor.
Precautions that also help protect against Lyme disease, also transmitted by tick bites.