The National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety (Anses) warned Thursday, June 1 of a risk of spreading Crimean-Congo fever in France due to climate change.
A virus that comes from a tick. Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever could spread to France due to climate change, the National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (Anses) warned on Thursday, calling for surveillance of ticks which are the vector of this virus, as well as farm animals.
If “no human case of contamination by the Crimean-Congo fever virus has yet been observed”, ANSES judged that an “emergence in France is possible”, in an opinion and a report on the risks for human and animal health of Hyalomma ticks.
Several cases already identified in Spain
And for good reason, vector of many pathogens, including the Crimean-Congo fever virus (CCHF), the Hyalomma tick native to Africa and Asia, was introduced into Europe mainly by migratory birds from Africa. . And this tick has been present in Corsica for several decades, and on the Mediterranean coast since 2015.
In addition, a dozen human cases affected by this virus have already been reported in Spain since 2013, some of which resulted in the death of the patient, observed the agency.
And if this fever is generally limited to a flu-like syndrome with digestive disorders, “in some cases, it can worsen and result in a hemorrhagic syndrome, the fatality rate of which reaches 30% in certain countries”. In France, specific antibodies to the virus have been found in domestic and wild animals, also noted the health agency.
A tick fond of dry and hot climates
The risk of Crimean-Congo fever appearing in France would be “all the more likely as the geographical extension of the tick implantation zone should be favored by climate change”, according to Elsa Quillery, coordinator of the scientific expertise cited by ANSES.
Indeed, with climate change, in some regions the climate becomes drier and hotter, conditions particularly popular with Hyalomma ticks, found until now in France especially in the scrubland or the Mediterranean scrub, unlike other ticks, which are more forest-dwelling.
ANSES has therefore called for national surveillance of these ticks, targeting the areas most at risk and developing tools for early detection of transmitted pathogens.
“Contrary to what exists for mosquitoes, no national monitoring system is organized for ticks, while they transmit serious diseases such as CCHF but also Lyme disease or tick-borne encephalitis”, specified Elsa Quillery.
Protect yourself from stings
It is also possible to protect yourself from ticks and their bites, whether it is Hyalomma or not. ANSES reminds you that it is important to wear closed shoes and light-coloured covering clothing, so as to better identify ticks on the surface of the fabric during walks in particular. In addition, it is advisable to avoid walking in the middle of tall grass and bushes.
And on returning from a walk, the agency recommends inspecting your body well, mainly at the level of the folds of the skin and the scalp. When a tick is spotted, do not wait and detach it immediately using a tick remover available in pharmacies and disinfect the area concerned.
If certain symptoms persist, such as redness or abnormal fever, the agency finally advises to consult a doctor urgently.