A MAN has died of an eye-bleeding disease in Senegal, officials have said, sparking fears of an outbreak.
Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever, which is similar to Ebola, causes more than two fifths of those who catch it to bleed to death.
It's the first time the nasty bug, also called Congo Fever, has been detected in Africa this year.
The Ministry of Health of Senegal reported a confirmed case of Congo Fever on April 21.
The 35-year-old male began to experience flu-like symptoms, including a fever, just 10 days beforehand.
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He was tested for the bug after he started bleeding uncontrollably and died on April 22.
Congo fever is a viral disease that's usually transmitted by ticks and livestock.
Human-to-human transmission is possible, and happens when a person comes into contact with the blood and bodily fluids of people infected with the bug.
The main carriers of the virus are Hyalomma ticks.
These are not found in the UK and the virus has never been detected here through a tick.
The last reported outbreak of Congo fever occurred in Uganda, between June 2022 and January.
It comes as Africa is battling with a new outbreak of the Marburg virus, which like Congo Fever is a hemorrhagic disease.
At least 35 cases and up to 32 deaths (when including probable fatalities) have now been detected since the outbreak was declared in mid-February, official health data suggests.
What are the symptoms?
After a person is bitten by an infected tick, it can take one to three days before symptoms appear.
But, the incubation period is five to six days, and can be up to 13, if you come into contact with infected blood or body tissues.
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Symptoms appear suddenly and include:
- fever
- muscle aches
- dizziness
- neck pain and stiffness
- backache
- headache
- sore eyes
- sensitivity to the light
Infected people may also suffer:
- sickness and vomiting
- diarrhoea
- stomach pain
- sore throat
After two to four days, mood swings and confusion will be replaced by sleepiness and depression.
Other signs can include a fast heart rate, enlarged glands and a rash, caused by bleeding into the skin, as well as severe nosebleeds and bleeding gums.
Severely ill patients will suffer rapid kidney failure, sudden liver and heart failure, around five days after falling ill.
Congo fever is deadly in around a third of cases, causing death around two weeks after falling ill.
It's endemic in many countries in Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Asia.
And outbreaks have been reported in Russia, Turkey, Iran, Albania, Pakistan and southern Africa in recent years.