A 74-year-old man from Castilla-La Mancha has been isolated in Madrid after being diagnosed with Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF).

He was bitten by a tick while staying at his second home in Buenasbodas, Toledo, and presented symptoms including fever and general malaise at the Rey Juan Carlos Hospital on July 19. Following a rapid alert from the public health system, tests confirmed the infection, leading to his transfer to the High-Level Isolation Unit at La Paz-Carlos III Hospital.

Health authorities are tracing contacts to prevent further spread of the virus, which has a mortality rate of 10-40%.

CCHF is endemic in parts of Africa, the Balkans, and Asia, and is transmitted through tick bites or contact with infected bodily fluids.

Public health officials recommend protective measures for outdoor activities to avoid tick bites.