Emphasizing that there are three important points in the management of CCHF disease, Prof. Dr. Nurcan Baykam said, “The first is to prevent the transmission of the virus, which is transmitted by ticks that adhere to the human body. Secondly, to increase the awareness of both the public and health professionals about the early diagnosis of the disease. The third is to provide the necessary medical intervention to the patients who are diagnosed or pre-diagnosed.”
TICK CASE CAN CONTINUE UNTIL SEPTEMBER
Stating that the tick cases that started in April could continue until September, Baykam called for people dealing with livestock, going to the fields and gardens, to take precautions so that ticks do not come into contact with the body. Stating that ticks do not fly, they come onto the human body by walking, Baykam said that people can prevent the tick from sticking to the body by putting the legs of their trousers into their socks for protection.
HOLDING TIME ON THE BODY IS VERY IMPORTANT
Baykam, who called for those working in the field or in the garden to check whether ticks have adhered to their bodies when they return to their homes, said, “Because the shorter the ticks cling to the body, the less transmission of the virus will be. The tick must be removed from the body immediately. In addition, the tick should not be touched with bare hands. We must have a glove or a piece of cloth on hand. We have to hold it with it and remove it from the body. The ideal method for removing the tick from the body is forceps. But there are cases where when the tick clings to it, sometimes we cannot remove it. Then we should go to a health institution and have the tick removed immediately,” he said.
INCREASED TICK CASES
Explaining that since 2002-2003, cases of this disease have been followed and diagnosed in Turkey, Prof. Dr. Nurcan Baykam said, “The number of cases increased over the years. Then, the increase in awareness, the education of the society, the measures taken by the ministry and the spraying of animals resulted in a decrease in the number of cases. But recently, there has been a slight increase in cases due to the demand for rural areas in settlements due to the effect of the pandemic.
WHAT TO DO AGAINST TICK?
Pointing out that the first initial findings of Covid-19 and CCHF are similar to each other, Prof. Dr. Nurcan Baykam said, “We are experiencing the Covid-19 pandemic. I hope we are coming to the end. Here the initial initial findings are very similar. Because the first symptoms in Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Disease are headache, fever, weakness, muscle aches in the body, body pain, nausea, sometimes diarrhea, redness in the eyes and face. These findings can be seen in many diseases. The same findings can be seen at the beginning in Covid-19. For this reason, those who have these complaints should apply to health centers quickly. In addition, patients who apply to health institutions should definitely warn their physicians by expressing that they are dealing with animal husbandry and that I may have contact with ticks. Our physicians should be especially aware of this issue and should not be sensitive. The patient who comes with similar complaints should definitely be questioned because early diagnosis is very important. When diagnosed early, we will prevent other transmissions, and the necessary treatments can be done quickly,” he said.