'Little to no risk' of nose-bleed fever virus entering Philippines — DOH
MANILA, Philippines — There is “little to no risk” that the virus that causes people to bleed to death will enter the Philippines, the Department of Health said Thursday.
The agency said this after an outbreak of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) was detected in Iraq. So far, Iraq has reported 27 deaths among 97 confirmed cases.
“CCHF is said to be endemic to Africa, Balkan states, the Middle East, and some northern Asian countries. The DOH sees little to no risk of the virus entering Philippine borders,” it said.
What is CCHF?
According to the World Health Organization, CCHF causes severe viral hemorrhagic fever, with a case fatality rate of 10 to 40%.
The CCHF virus is primarily transmitted to people either by tick bites or through contact with infected animal blood, tissues, and fluids.
DOH said it is most prevalent in people who work in the livestock, agriculture, vegetarian, and slaughter industries.
What are the symptoms of CCHF?
- Fever
- Myalgia (muscle ache)
- Dizziness
- Neck pain and stiffness
- Backache
- Headache
- Sore eyes
- Photophobia (sensitivity to light)
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Abdominal pain
- Sore throat
What treatments are available?
“Treatment of symptoms with general supportive care has been shown to be the main approach to manage such cases,” the DOH said, adding that the antiviral drug ribavirin has been used to treat the virus.
There is currently no vaccine available. — with report from Agence France-Presse
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