The South African health organization on Sunday warned people against contracting the Congo fever.

As the summer comes, people who love spending time outdoors should try their best to protect themselves from catching the Congo fever which is caused by the tick bites, said National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) spokesperson Lucille Blumberg in a statement.

The warning came as a 39-year-old woman was receiving treatment in hospital after being bitten by the tick last week.

The spokesperson believed that many people are at risk of contracting the disease at this time of the year, saying "people who go hiking or walking in the veld can be bitten by common ticks infected with the bacteria."

The symptom of the Congo fever would include a little black scab, high fever and very severe headache.

In South Africa, residents like to trip or picnic outdoors over weekends.

"Around 30 percent of those people who contracted the fever would be possible to die from its virus," Blumberg warned.

The spokesperson said though there is no vaccine for the fever, yet "treatment is really supportive."

Last year five people contracted the Congo fever in South Africa, and all of them survived after being hospitalized.

Source: Xinhuanet