Glasgow man ‘critical’ with first UK case of killer fever

The 38-year-old is in a critical condition at the Brownlee specialist unit at Gartnavel Hospital in Glasgow.

He was admitted on Tuesday afternoon, less than three hours after flying into the city at 12:35pm on a connecting flight from Dubai. Test results confirmed his condition yesterday.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde last night moved to ease fears over the disease, stressing it was not highly contagious.

Dr Syed Ahmed, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde public health consultant, said: “The risk of person to person transmission of Crimean-Congo viral haemorrhagic fever is extremely low as it can only be transmitted by direct contact with infected blood or body fluids.

“It is not a virus which is transmitted through the air. As such the risk to those who were in close contact with him is minimal.”

Crimean–Congo hemorrhagic fever is a tick-borne viral disease endemic to the Indian subcontinent, central Asia, Africa, the Middle East and parts of eastern and southern Europe.

Headaches, high fever, vomiting, and back, joint and stomach pain are symptoms of the disease, which can lead to blood clotting and kidney failure in severe cases.

Three in ten people diagnosed with the fever die. This is the first reported case in the UK.

An NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde spokeswoman said the patient had originally flown from Kabul, Afghanistan.

The health authority is attempting to contact three passengers who sat near the infected man on Emirates flight EK027 from Dubai to Glasgow.

It said the move was precautionary to make sure the disease had not been transmitted.

Passengers travelling on the flight have been urged to call the 24-hour NHS helpline if they have concerns for their health or need more information.

The man travelled directly home from the airport using private transport.

NHS officials said they were confident that contact with other people within Glasgow would subsequently have been minimal.