Spain reports two suspected new cases of deadly tick-borne fever

Spanish health authorities confirmed on Saturday that they are investigating two suspected new cases of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever(CCHF) in the capital city of Madrid.

The news comes two days after it was confirmed that a 62-year-old man died of the haemorrhagic fever on August 25 and a nurse who had treated him also became infected. They are the first two confirmed cases of the illness in western Europe.

The nurse is currently "stable but in a serious condition," while a further 200 people who could have come into contact with the victim and the nurse are currently being watched by health authorities in case they show symptoms.

The two new patients are currently in the Gomez Ulla and Carlos III hospitals in Madrid. According to the Spanish Health Ministry, the National Center for Microbiology is analyzing samples.

The two hospitals have implemented preventive protocols to deal with the infectious viral haemorrhagic fevers.

CCHF is a tick-borne illness with a mortality rate of up to 40 percent. It is endemic in Africa, the Balkans and the Middle East. It can also be transmitted through direct contact with the blood, secretions and the organs of infected people.

It is thought that the man who died was bitten by a tick while he was walking in the countryside close to Avila, a city to the northwest of Madrid. Endit