Greece officials report rare Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever case/death
In Greece, the National Public Health Organization (EODY) reported that a domestic case of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) was recently recorded in a settlement in the Municipality of Elassona, Larissa Regional Unit, Thessaly Region. This is a patient over 70 years old, who was hospitalized with a severely deteriorating clinical picture, died.
The disease manifests with various symptoms and severity, from asymptomatic infection (in approximately 85% of cases) or mild febrile illness, to very severe disease. Symptoms appear 1-14 days after exposure and may include sudden onset of symptoms, such as: fever, chills, headache, myalgia, arthralgia, fatigue, dizziness, sore throat, abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. Mood and level of consciousness disorders may follow. In severe cases , hemorrhagic manifestations, multiorgan failure and circulatory shock occur. The disease has a high mortality rate (30-50% in hospitalized patients) as there is no specific treatment.
Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever is a tick-borne viral hemorrhagic fever, widespread worldwide, with approximately 10,000-15,000 infections per year. Sporadic cases and epidemics of the disease have been recorded in more than 30 countries in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Europe. In Europe and neighboring countries, cases have been recorded in the Balkans (Bulgaria, Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia) and in Spain, Portugal, Georgia, Russia, Ukraine and Turkey. In Greece, another domestic case of the disease has been recorded in the past, in 2008 (in Thrace).
High-risk groups include people who have activities in areas where ticks are present, i.e. in the countryside, in rural or mountainous areas, as well as those who come into contact with the blood/bodily fluids of animals such as: livestock breeders, shepherds, farmers, hunters, loggers, gardeners, slaughterhouse workers, those who go camping, nature lovers, climbers, hikers and healthcare professionals who may come into contact with a patient.
Due to the recent recording of a case of the disease, the National Public Health Organization recommends taking personal protection measures against ticks, as a priority for high-risk groups and in the wider area of ​​exposure of the patient . It is noted, of course, that most ticks are not infected and the risk of someone getting sick after a tick bite in our country is considered low. However, because the diseases that ticks can transmit, if infected, can be serious (such as this specific disease), precautions should be taken. Specifically, the following are recommended:
Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever 101
Avoid areas where ticks may be present (forests, meadows, areas with trees, bushes, tall grass, piles of leaves, dense vegetation).
In case it is necessary to be in areas where ticks are likely to be present :
Always walk in the center of the paths and not in dense vegetation .
Wear light-colored clothing (so that ticks can be easily seen) and preferably long-sleeved shirts , long pants , high socks and boots/closed shoes. Tuck your pants into your socks and boots. Wear gloves, especially when touching grass/plants or animals with your hands (tuck your shirt sleeves into your gloves).
Apply insect repellent sprays or lotions to bare/exposed skin and over your clothing (according to instructions for use).
Do not lie down or sit directly on the ground outdoors .
Take a shower or bath immediately after returning from the outdoors .
Carefully examine your clothes and skin for ticks , during and after outdoor activity. After returning home, take your clothes, socks, and shoes outside the house and check them for ticks.
If you spot a tick on your clothing, remove it carefully (not with bare hands).
If you find a tick on your body, it should be removed as quickly and properly as possible , with appropriate tweezers/tweezers . If you do not know the correct way to remove a tick or do not have the appropriate tweezers, DO NOT remove the tick yourself, but go immediately to a doctor , the nearest Health Center or Hospital.
DO NOT pick up the tick with bare hands, but always wear gloves. DO NOT crush, DO NOT break, DO NOT squeeze, and DO NOT pierce the tick's body .
DO NOT "disturb" the tick when it is attached to the skin (e.g. do not pour oil, alcohol, vaseline, petroleum jelly on the tick ).
Apply preventive treatment against ticks to your animals at regular intervals, always according to your veterinarian's instructions, and carry out regular disinfestations in stables/livestock units.
Wear gloves and protective clothing when coming into contact with animals or with blood or other animal tissues/secretions, e.g. when slaughtering animals.
The standard advice is to drink only pasteurized milk and not eat fresh soft cheeses unless they have matured for the required period of time. Also, do not consume dairy products unless you know that the correct manufacturing process has been followed to protect you from various diseases transmitted in this way.
To reduce the risk of human-to-human transmission:
Avoid close physical contact with suspected or confirmed cases of hemorrhagic fever.
Wear gloves and protective equipment when caring for patients.
Wash your hands regularly after caring for patients.
For healthcare professionals : strictly implement basic infection prevention and control precautions when examining, caring for and treating patients.
National and regional public health and veterinary authorities are in constant communication and cooperation to coordinate prevention and response actions. The Ministry of Health, the National Public Health Organization and the Ministry of Rural Development and Food are coordinating the response actions, in collaboration with the regional local authorities.
Infectious diseases named by location of discovery
On 27/6/2025, a Working Meeting of the national public health and veterinary authorities, the regional local government, public health and veterinary authorities, and specialist scientists was held, for the organization and coordination of prevention and response actions. The meeting was attended by: the Ministry of Health, the Hellenic National Organization for Public Health, the Ministry of Rural Development and Food, the National Reference Center for Arboviral and Hemorrhagic Fevers (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki), the competent services of the University General Hospital of Larissa, the Regional Governor of Thessaly, the General Directorate of Public Health and Social Welfare and the Directorate of Veterinary Medicine of the Region of Thessaly, as well as specialist scientists from the ELGO-Dimitra Organization and the Agricultural University of Athens.
The immediate response actions decided upon include:
Immediate investigation of the patient's contacts in the family and hospital environment (i.e. in healthcare settings), risk assessment of contacts and contact tracing.
Informing actions for health professionals to be vigilant regarding suspicious incidents at a local and national level.
Actions to inform high-risk groups at local level about the recommended prevention measures.
Sampling of ticks and animals from the specific area for the presence of the virus.
Targeted disinfestations in the specific area.
Seroepidemiological study on a sample of the population of the specific area.
Targeted disease control and prevention measures in animals by veterinary authorities.
We recommend the implementation of the measures meticulously, especially by high-risk groups.
Very informative about the out break CCHF.Thank you all for sharing this.