Rare Tick-Borne Hemorrhagic Fever Reported in Spain

— -- One person in Spain has died after contracting a rare tick-borne disease called Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, according to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).

The disease, which has symptoms similar to Ebola hemorrhagic fever, has Spanish authorities on alert, as a second person, a nurse who cared for the first patient, has also contracted the Crimean-Congo virus.

"The fatal case had no travel history to exotic countries but had noticed a tick bite after a walk in the countryside," according to a statement from the ECDC.

The disease is mainly transmitted to people via ticks from livestock, although person-to-person transmission can occur via blood or other bodily fluids.

Symptoms include fever, sore muscles, headache and backache, and in severe cases the disease can lead to bleeding from the gastrointestinal system, uterus and urinary and respiratory tracts. Ticks with the virus are known to live in Spain, and people most at risk are those who work with livestock, including farmers and butchers.