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HPA - Confirmed case of Crimean Congo Haemorrhagic Fever in the UK
The Health Protection Agency (HPA) is aware of a laboratory confirmed case of Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) in a UK traveller who has recently returned from Afghanistan. The patient has been transferred from Glasgow, Scotland to the high security infectious diseases unit at the Royal Free hospital in London using specialist air transport.
CCHF is a serious viral disease which infects a range of domestic and wild animals. Humans are usually infected directly from the blood or body fluids of infected animals or via tick bites. The disease is endemic in many countries in Africa, parts of Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
CCHF can be acquired from an infected patient, but this requires direct contact with their blood or body fluids Therefore, there is no risk to the general population. As a precautionary measure, close contacts of the patient including hospital staff involved in the patient’s care have been contacted and will be monitored.
The HPA is providing public health, diagnostic and other support to the teams currently handling this incident.
This is the first laboratory-confirmed case of CCHF in the United Kingdom.
Notes to editors:
- Information about the Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever is available on the HPA website.
- Information about the geographical distribution of CCHF is available on the HPA website.
- Further information about the transmission of CCHF is available on the HPA website.
- Information on CCHF is available from the World Health Organization (WHO) website external link.
- Visit the Royal Free Hospital website external link.
- For more information please contact the national HPA press office at Colindale on 0208 327 7901 or email colindale-pressoffice@hpa.org.uk. Out of hours the duty press officer can be contacted on 0208 200 4400.
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