Girl dies after 'bleeding from eyes' fever in Africa

A nine-year-old girl died with symptoms of a new 'bleeding from eyes' disease that has escalated fear of major health crisis in East Africa.

The disease is feared to be worse than the Black Death outbreak that claimed thousands of life in Africa last year.

The girl died after displaying the nightmarish symptoms of the extremely infectious virus that kills up to 40 per cent of those affected.

What is Bleeding Eye Fever?

Bleeding Eye Fever is caused by a virus. CCHF is one of the deadliest hemorrhagic fevers caused by the Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Virus or CCHV.

What are the symptoms?
Common symptoms include headache, high fever, nausea, abdominal pain, muscle pain and non bloody diarrhoea. This accompanied by hypotension, relative dradycardia, conjuctivitis, skin flushing and rash.

Human-to-human transmission:
The disease is transmitted to humans through tick bites, or through contact with the blood of infected animals especially during slaughter. It can occur resulting from close contact with bodily fluids.

What is the treatment?
Treatment for CCHF is mostly supportive. Ribavirin is the primary treatment drug available. Immunoglobulin therapy is also being used for its treatment since 2011.

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