In Tokat, between January 1 and June 23 this year, 999 people visited the infectious diseases department and emergency unit of the state hospital due to tick bites.
Reports of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) caused by tick bites have been coming from many provinces across Turkey. A geographic region that includes nearly 30 provinces in the northern part of Central Anatolia, Central and Eastern Black Sea, and Eastern Anatolia is considered a “hyperendemic area” due to the high prevalence of CCHF.
To prevent issues in patient transfers and overcrowding in certain hospitals during times when cases increase, the Ministry of Health has established regional centers.
Prof. Dr. Gürdal Yılmaz, an infectious diseases and clinical microbiology specialist from Karadeniz Technical University, told Diken that not everyone bitten by a tick contracts CCHF.
He said: “Not every tick species transmits this virus. For example, ticks in the coastal areas of the Black Sea may carry other diseases (like Lyme disease), but not this one (CCHF). The most commonly affected areas are Artvin, Erzurum, Gümüşhane, Tokat, Sivas, and Çorum.”
According to a report from Anadolu Agency today, two more people visited Tokat State Hospital’s infectious diseases department due to tick bites.
Patients who were diagnosed with CCHF and are undergoing treatment are reportedly showing signs of improvement.
In total, 999 people have sought medical attention at Tokat State Hospital between January 1 and June 23 due to tick bites.
Additional tick-related fatalities have been reported:
- Another death in Çankırı
- Another fatality in Çorum
- The number of deaths from Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever in Sivas has risen to six.
