Alert in Spain and Greece as 'priority' illness breaks out - signs to watch for
A warning has been issued after Spain and Greece were struck by surging cases of a deadly illness which claims the lives of around a third of those infected - with one region branded a hotspot.
Since the start of 2025, and as of 23 July 2025, two European nations have recorded cases of Crimean Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF). Infections have been discovered in Spain and Greece - with the latter outbreak being labelled as 'unexpected'.
Experts from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) confirmed the Greece cases have been identified in the Thessaly region.
Last year the Parliament Science, Innovation and Technology Committee disclosed that it was "highly likely" the UK would shortly witness cases.
The UK Health Security Agency has stated that an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 human infections happen worldwide each year, including roughly 500 deaths.
Nevertheless, this number is probably underestimated owing to unreported cases. The spike has been flagged by the UK Travel Health Pro website which is supported by the Foreign Office.
The ECDC stated: "The cases in Greece that occurred in the Thessaly region are unexpected, as this region and neighbouring regions have not reported CCHF cases or CCHF virus circulation in animals previously.
"The primary case was probably infected through a tick bite, while the secondary case was a healthcare professional who provided care to the primary case, although the exact transmission route is still under scrutiny.
"These are the first cases since 2008, when the only other locally acquired case reported by Greece to date was found in the Thrace region (bordering Bulgaria)."
Regarding the cases detected in Spain, the ECDC's latest report published this week revealed that instances in Salamanca had been previously documented.
The report stated: "From 2016 to 2024, a total of 16 autochthonous CCHF cases have been reported in Spain, with dates of disease onset between April and August.
"The province of Salamanca is a hotspot for CCHF, with 50% of the cases being exposed to ticks. Two cases have been detected in previous years in the same locality as the current case. In this area, the presence of Hyalomma marginatum, the main vector of this disease, is well known, and studies conducted in wild and domestic animals have shown seroprevalence higher than 70% for CCHF virus.
"Although the risk of contracting CCHF for the general population in the areas where the virus is known to be present in Spain is low, this risk drastically increases for people performing activities that expose them to tick bites. (e.g. hunting, forestry work, hiking, animal surveillance). "".
The illness is triggered by Nairovirus, which spreads through tick bites and carries a death rate of between 10 and 40 per cent, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). Usually discovered in Africa, the Balkans, the Middle East and Asia, the illness might be spreading beyond its traditional regions and heading towards nations such as Britain and France owing to climate change.
The World Health Organisation has listed CCHF among its nine "priority diseases", a designation that underscores the most serious public health risks.
The ailment was first recorded in Crimea in 1944, impacting soldiers and agricultural workers, and by 1969 researchers had confirmed that the organism responsible was identical to the virus that had been extracted from a Congolese youngster in 1956.
What to do to avoid it.
The ECDC said: 'As a general precaution against CCHF, but also against other tick-borne diseases, people who may potentially be exposed to ticks should apply personal protective measures against tick bites. '
Signs of CCHF.
In severe cases, the WHO warns, sufferers may develop jaundicing of the skin, mood swings and modified sensory perception.
As the illness progresses, widespread serious bruising, profuse nosebleeds, and uncontrolled bleeding at injection sites may occur, usually beginning around the fourth day of the condition and continuing for roughly two weeks.
Throughout documented CCHF outbreaks, fatality rates amongst hospitalised patients have ranged from nine per cent to as high as 50 per cent.
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Daily Mirror
9 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Brits urged not to visit zoos with great apes amid calls to free our 'cousins'
Experts, conservationists and celebrities are calling for an urgent phase-out of great apes in zoos, and urge the public not to visit attractions which exploit our closest cousins for profit Great apes kept in zoos suffer from chronic stress, obesity, heart disease, and poor mental health, warns a new report. There are more than 1,500 gorillas, bonobos, chimpanzees and orangutans currently held in European zoos, with more than 300 in the UK alone. But Born Free say these highly intelligent and profoundly social creatures experience traumatic births, high rates of stillbirths, maternal rejection, and instances of infanticide as a result of captivity. The report also says great apes suffer in environments that will never meet their complex physical, emotional, and social needs. As a result Zoo guidelines recommend medicating great apes with antidepressants to alleviate stress. The charity is calling for "jungle not jail" and urged the public not to visit attractions which exploit our closest cousins for profit. Ian Redmond, Born Free Advisor and World-renowned Great Ape Expert, who studied wild gorillas alongside the late Dr Dian Fossey said, 'Having had the privilege of spending time with great apes in their natural habitat, where they take their own decisions, I find it increasingly uncomfortable seeing their lives in captivity. And having surveyed apes in UK zoos 35 years ago, I know some individuals who have faced the same daily routine for nearly four decades. The zoo industry and the Government must take note of changing public attitudes and, based on scientific evidence of ape cognition and ecology, heed the recommendations in Born Free's new report.' Germany keeps the greatest number of great apes in Europe with 349 in zoos followed by the UK with 315 - 14 bonobos, 143 chimpanzees, 95 gorillas and 63 orangutans. Dudley Zoo currently has six orangutans including three-year-old Joe born there. During the Mirror 's visit Ian Redmond tells us how he is the great grandchild of Joe - believed to have been captured from the wild aged two in 1962. He spent the rest of his life in the zoo until he died in 1995. Ian said: 'The thought of him being locked up for four decades is painful.' Born Free's report highlights how great apes are our closest living relatives, with immense capacity for learning - they are known to pass cultural knowledge down through the generations. Despite this, Born Free says we continue to incarcerate our closest cousins in zoos where they are denied agency over fundamental aspects of their lives – how they live, who they live with, who they mate with, or how to escape conflict. As Our Captive Cousins: The Plight of Great Apes in Zoos The research also outlines the many, often fatal, instances where a great ape's inability to escape conflict, due to enclosures which lack the space and complexity of wild environments, has resulted in serious injury or death. Tragically, on occasions where great apes have escaped their zoo enclosures, humans have also been injured, and the animals typically pay with their lives. It also questions claims by zoos that the keeping and breeding of great apes in captivity is somehow important for their conservation stating that zoo-bred great apes are genetically and behaviourally unsuitable for release into the wild. As confirmed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), releasing zoo- bred apes into the wild poses serious risks to wild populations. Shockingly, the report also highlights how European breeding programmes have produced an excess of male great apes; these 'surplus' individuals face a deeply uncertain future. The charity's report is particularly pertinent as it comes just months after the long-awaited release of the UK government's revised Standards of Modern Zoo Practice for Great Britain, set to take effect in May 2027. If implemented stringently and effectively, it is highly questionable if any UK zoos will be able to meet the new great ape welfare. Will Travers OBE, Born Free's Co-Founder and Executive President stated, 'Wild great apes and the places they live in around the world are crying out for help. Their conservation is not enhanced by keeping thousands locked up in zoos. That teaches us nothing. Treating them as living commodities, to be stared at rather than admired and celebrated, shows us that, while humans may dominate this planet of the apes, we know the price of everything but the value of nothing.' Chris Packham, Naturalist and Broadcaster said the report is 'a stark reminder of humanity's complex and challenging relationship with zoos. He added: 'All the evidence to prove radical change is now imperative is here. Great Apes mustn't be imprisoned for our entertainment any longer.' Chris Lewis, Born Free's Captivity Research and Policy Manager said: 'Many of us are fascinated by great apes due to the similarities we see between themselves and us. "When confined in zoos, it also means we are uniquely positioned to empathise with their suffering and their lack of freedom. With less than half of Britons recently stating it was acceptable to continue the keeping of great apes in zoos, it is yet another example that modern society is increasingly conscious and concerned by the keeping of such highly intelligent animals in captivity. To continue to confine these complex beings for our entertainment can no longer be justified on the basis of science, welfare, or animal and public safety.' Dr Jo Judge, CEO of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and aquariums said: 'This report fails to recognise that good zoos are working every day to improve the lives of great apes, BIAZA member zoos are at the very forefront of animal welfare. Member zoos have to adhere to the highest standards for animal care, as well as legally adhering to the strictest zoo licensing system in the world, with the new standards including a specific chapter on the care of great apes. All ape species are either Endangered or Critically Endangered – they are at risk of being lost forever, good zoos are a crucial tool in the fightback against extinction. 'Every single great ape in the care of good zoos is known by name and character, provided with round-the-clock expert care and lives in specially engineered habitats. 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As a fellow wildlife charity we encourage Born Free to come and find out about our work to deliver a world class standard of animal care and our leading conservation work.' 'Zoo conservation is making an essential difference to wild apes. Everyone can be proud to support our brilliant zoos which provide homes where great apes can thrive.' It doesn't get any easier. After more than 50 years of visiting zoos around the world, you would think I'd get used to seeing apes in captivity. Whilst I am still fascinated by every ape I encounter – their personality and individual story - as I leave each captive, I am still saddened by the restricted lives they lead. Having also had the good fortune to study gorillas and photograph or film chimpanzees, bonobos and orangutans in their natural habitat, the contrast is stark. Back in 1973 when I was a student, I visited Guy, London Zoo's famous gorilla. He was then housed with Lomie, who had joined him as a five-year-old in 1969. But having been alone for 25 years, and captured in Cameroon as an infant, his social skills were limited and Guy didn't father any offspring. Between 1988 and 1991, I surveyed most of the apes, elephants and rhinos in the UK and Ireland for Zoo Check, visiting 86 exhibits in 32 zoos/safari parks, plus six circuses and a monastery. Of these, 29 zoos had gorillas, chimpanzees and/or orangutans and two of the circuses had chimpanzees. Four decades later, some things have improved. Thankfully, performing apes and elephants in UK circuses are history. Many zoos that used to house one or two of each kind of ape now have more individuals of fewer species in appropriate social groups. Outdoor enclosures are more varied and most have some natural vegetation (though usually trees are ringed with hot-wires to prevent apes from climbing them). 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But unless the breeding is part of a rewilding programme, reintroducing the species into suitable habitat within its historical range to restore its role as a keystone species to forests depleted of apes, then the question has to be asked: is it moral to encourage breeding for a lifetime in captivity? About 10 years ago, a video of Leonie rescuing a bird from a lake went viral, demonstrating her innate compassion. As more and more zoo visitors record interesting snippets of ape behaviour on their smartphones and post them on social media, more and more people are being surprised by the self-evident level of ape cognition. The time is long overdue for a re-evaluation of the ethics of imprisoning apes (and other sentient, self-aware social animals) for zoos to provide a fun day out for the kids. I hope this new report on apes in UK zoos will trigger such a public debate.
Daily Record
a day ago
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Alert in Spain and Greece as 'priority' illness breaks out - signs to watch for
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Daily Mail
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