Ticks infected with the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus have been discovered in the south of France.

It may have arrived on the backs of migratory birds as part of tick larvae. Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus, endemic to parts of Africa, the Balkans, the Middle East and Asia, appears to have settled on mainland France. It was first discovered in late 2023 in the Eastern Pyrenees and more recently in Corsica. Check the boxes every time. In humans, this virus most often causes a mild infection, but in rare cases it can progress to serious forms, causing death in 10–40% of cases. However, scientists believe that there is no reason to sound the alarm. Explanations.

“This virus is transmitted mites of the genus Hyalomma which have been present in Corsica for several decades and whose presence has been reported since 2015 in the rest of the French Mediterranean.– points out Thomas Pollet, researcher at the National Research Institute for Agriculture and Food…