New ‘deadly virus’ due to climate change

Scientists in the UK have warned about a new ‘deadly virus’ which is ‘highly likely’ to arrive due to climate change. The UK government’s Science, Innovation and Technology Committee was informed of the arrival of the Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), CCHF has a case fatality rate of 10-40% and is caused by a tick-borne virus (Nairovirus) of the Bunyaviridae family. It is endemic in Africa, the Balkans, the Middle East and some Asian countries. CCHF is also on the WHO’s list of ‘priority’ diseases. However, there is concern that infections may not be picked up by doctors in the NHS, as previous they hadn’t been expected, the scientists informed the Committee. Prof James Wood, head of veterinary medicine at Cambridge University, told the committee that it was “highly likely” that the disease would reach the UK at some point, but it was difficult to determine which...