Speaking on the subject, Prof. Karadeniz Technical University (KTÜ) Faculty of Medicine, Head of the Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology. Dr. Gürdal Yılmaz made warnings by pointing out that the cases of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) Disease started to increase with the warming of the weather.
Noting that one person was being treated in the hospital due to CCHF, Yılmaz said, “Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) cases, which have been a trouble for us since 2002, started to bite people and cause illness as the weather got warmer and our people went out into nature. We have new cases, we have a patient who is currently suffering from burns. We were busy due to the flu. We are consulted about CCHF cases. More patients from Gümüşhane. We ask our friends at the hospital in Gümüşhane to follow up as much as they can and if the situation gets into trouble, to send it to us. “This is how we took a patient whose platelet count dropped very low, and the cases started to increase throughout Türkiye,” he said.
“JUNE-JULY IS THE PERIOD WHERE CASES ARE THE MOST INTENSIVE”
Noting that tick cases are especially intense in June and July, Yılmaz said, “June-July is the peak period for cases. In our region, the numbers in hospitals reach 200-300. Last year, one of our patients died due to CCHF. “Depending on the type and number of microbes ingested, depending on the body’s response to it, reactions vary depending on the condition of the supportive treatment, and deaths may also occur,” he said.
Noting that ticks seen in coastal areas do not pose a danger in terms of CCHF, Yılmaz said, “People who are bitten by ticks apply, especially during hazelnut harvesting. CCHF is not an expected situation in ticks in the coastal region. Those ticks don’t carry it. Our Kelkit Valley region is important. There are not many hills in the areas where the Kelkit Valley and Çoruh pass, but there are such ticks further down. The ticks in the Black Sea are blackish in color, they do not carry this. The ticks in Gumushane, Kelkit area have a brownish color and they are dangerous ticks. As protection, we should put our ankles inside our socks when we go to grassy areas. “When we come home, let’s check our whole body for ticks,” he said. (UAV)
