‘Awareness of tick-borne disease must be raised’

Since first observed in Turkey 2002, 92 people have died of CCHF in the country, including 27 so far this year. The fever is much more prevalent in central Anatolian and eastern Anatolian provinces, especially Tokat, Çorum, Sivas, Amasya, Yozgat and Gümüşhane. The cases of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF), a viral disease transmitted by ticks, is increasing year by year, a fact that Associate Professor Zati Vatansever says is due to lack of awareness of the disease in rural areas, where it is most common. "Mostly seen in rural areas, transmitted to people by ticks, increasing between the months of April and October, coming suddenly and killing within two weeks," reported the dailies and television news broadcasts over the last several months. CCHF seems to be the new threat to the Turkish population. Experts say the... [read full story]