Disease may be Congo Fever
07/10/2008 13:02  - (SA) 

Verashni Pillay

Johannesburg - Health authorities suspect that the mystery disease that has killed three people in Johannesburg may be Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF), they said on Tuesday.  "We are suspecting that it can be CCHF fever because of the fact that the person had been in contact with animals and had a tick bite," the Department of Health's chief director of communicable diseases, Dr Frew Benson, told News24 on Tuesday.

But he said authorities were awaiting the results of a culture test before they could confirm their suspicions.  A culture test normally takes seven days. Benson said initial tests for CCHF tested negative and the department had redone the tests.

CDC help

Blood samples were also sent to the Centre for Disease Control in the US city of Atlanta, for further assistance.  The first casualty of the viral disease was a 36-year-old woman who was airlifted from Zambia to the Morningside Medi-Clinic in Sandton on September 12.  She was treated for tick-bite fever and other potential infections, but died two days later.

A Zambian paramedic who accompanied her into the country died last week, and a nurse at the Morningside Medi-Clinic died on Sunday.  Morningside Medi-Clinic had since placed two family members of the nurse into isolation.  The 23-year-old woman and 11-year-old boy had admitted themselves but have not shown symptoms of the disease, hospital spokesperson Melinda Pelser told News24.  "They are here for precautionary measures," she said. "We just wanted to keep an eye on them because they live far away and we feel responsible for our staff's family."  Meanwhile Benson said a third person has been placed in isolation at Chris Baragwanath Hospital after she complained of a headache.

No vaccine or medication

Pelser said that there was no vaccine or medication for the virus as yet. The best chance for survival was getting care as early as possible.  She reiterated that the virus could only be passed via body fluids. "You can't get it from sneezing and not even from touching the skin or sweat," she said. "You can only get infected from blood, urine or stools from an infected patient."  Reuters reported that CCHF, which causes death in around 30% of hospitalised patients, is carried by domestic animals and can be transmitted by ticks. It is found in Africa, Eastern Europe and Asia.  CCHF first appeared in Crimea in 1944 and was later identified in 1956 as the cause of an illness in what is now Democratic Republic of Congo.  Cases have been recorded in Kosovo, Albania, Iran, Pakistan and South Africa. Symptoms include headaches, back pains, vomiting, severe bruising and nose bleeds.

Victims of the unidentified virus in Johannesburg have had diarrhoea, muscle pain, rashes and high fever as initial symptoms.  According to the World Health Organisation, CCHF can be treated but recovery is slow. If treatment is not provided in time, death can occur in the second week of illness.

- News24