Research and analysis
Outbreaks under monitoring: week 8 (week ending 22 February 2026)
Updated 26 February 2026
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| Disease or pathogen | Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever |
|---|---|
| Location | Senegal and Uganda |
| Status | New |
| Reporting date | 18 February 2026 |
| Summary | On 18 February 2026, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention published details of 2 cases of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF); one each in Senegal and Uganda. On 10 February 2026, the Senegalese Ministry of Health reported a case in a 7-year-old child from the Tambacounda region, who experienced symptom onset on 7 January 2026. Blood samples tested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) positive for CCHF virus at the Institut Pasteur in Dakar on 24 January 2026. The case had no history of travel in the 15 days prior to symptom onset. On 11 February 2026, the Ugandan Ministry of Health reported a case in a 21-year-old male nurse in Kyankwanzi District, who experienced symptom onset on 17 January 2026. Blood samples tested PCR positive for CCHF virus at the Uganda Virus Research Institute on 1 February 2026. This is the first CCHF case reported in Uganda in 2026. Both Senegal and Uganda report sporadic cases of CCHF annually. During 2025, 8 cases, including one death, were reported from Birkelane District in Senegal, whilst 17 cases, including 2 deaths, were reported across 10 districts of Uganda. CCHF is not present in the UK, nor are there any identified established populations of Hyalomma ticks, the principal vectors of CCHF virus. Confirmed CCHF cases have been imported into the UK, including one fatal case in 2012 and one in 2014. |
| Further information |
Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever: origins, reservoirs, transmission and guidelines HAIRS risk assessment: Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever NaTHNaC country information page: Senegal and Uganda |