He removed the tick with his bare hands: He lived his nightmare!

Seventeen-year-old Eyüp Can Karapınar was bitten by a tick while attending a funeral in Sivas. Upon returning to Istanbul, the young man went to the hospital complaining of vomiting, high fever, and weakness. He was diagnosed with Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever and placed under intensive treatment. His grandfather, who removed the tick with his bare hands, recovered without symptoms. Eyüp Can has since recovered from the illness after a difficult period.

Funeral visit turned into a nightmare

Eyüp Can Karapınar, a resident of Esenyurt, discovered a tick bite on his foot while grazing with his cousins after a funeral in Sivas. The tick, removed by his grandfather with his bare hands, remained asymptomatic for several days. After returning to Istanbul, he developed a severe fever, vomiting, and weakness.

He was diagnosed with Crimean Congo and immediately taken under treatment.

Following tests conducted at the SBÜ Kanuni Sultan Süleyman Training and Research Hospital, a diagnosis of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever was made. The young man was placed in isolation and began receiving specialized treatment. Eyüp Can, who experienced critical stages at times during his treatment, was discharged after a 14-day follow-up period and regained his health.

"IT'S LIKE EVERYTHING STARTED FROM SCRATCH"

Describing his ordeal, Eyüp Can said, "I noticed it bit me on the foot while I was taking a bath. My grandfather removed it. The morning after I returned to Istanbul, I started vomiting, and my fever rose to 41-42 degrees Celsius. The medical team immediately took me into treatment. No matter what, no one should lose hope. Now I feel like everything is starting over again."

"WE HAD A LIKELY TO LOSE THE PATIENT"

Pediatric Infectious Diseases Specialist Dr. Burcu Bursal, who oversaw the treatment, said, “The patient was in the high-risk group and had a complicated course. He developed macrophage activation syndrome. We went through some critical stages, but we were lucky. We started treatment early, and the entire healthcare team worked diligently, including with isolation measures.” Bursal emphasized that ticks should not be removed with bare hands, as this increases the risk of disease.

"BOTH THE GRANDFATHER AND THE GRANDCHILD RECREASED THE ILLNESS"

The grandfather who removed the tick was also placed under surveillance. His grandfather did not develop any symptoms, and both individuals recovered from the disease. Father Nuh Karapınar summarized the process with the words, "It was a difficult process that ended in intensive care, God forbid."

"ALWAYS CONTACT A HEALTH CENTER TO REMOVE A TICK"

Dr. Bursal emphasized the precautions to be taken against ticks: “Removing ticks with bare hands is extremely risky. They should be removed with gloves or a plastic bag, and if possible, consult a healthcare provider. Choose light-colored clothing, tuck pants into socks, and thoroughly examine your body. For the first 10 days after a tick bite, be sure to monitor for symptoms such as fever, headache, and fatigue.”