Skopje, 7 August 2023 (MIA) – Following the death of a 27-year-old woman of Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever on July 27, one of the employees at the Skopje-based Clinic for Infectious Diseases, who was identified as a medium-risk contact, has developed symptoms and tested positive for Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF), said the Ministry of Health in a press release Monday.

The Ministry said the patient has been hospitalized at the Clinic, while the Public Health Institute (PHI) has established a team to carry out the necessary activities to prevent further spread of the disease. 

Following the positive test of the 27-year-old woman in July, epidemiologists from the PHI identified all contacts in the family, the hospital and the emergency room and classified them according to risk, appropriately placing them under 14-day medical supervision.

The Ministry said the medical supervision lasts 14 days since the last contact with the infected person. The contacts of the first positive case will remain under supervision until August 10, 2023.

In the press release, the Ministry said the incubation period depends on the way in which the virus is transmitted. The incubation period is usually 1–3 days, with a maximum of 9 days, following an infection from a tick bite. While in the case of a transmission through infected blood or tissue, the period is usually between 5–6 days, with a maximum documented period of 14 days.

Photo: MIA Archive