Sindh has reported its first fatality of the year from Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF), commonly known as Congo virus. A 42-year-old man from Karachi’s Malir district died just one day after testing positive, according to a statement from the provincial health ministry’s media coordinator.
The patient was admitted to Indus Hospital in Korangi and confirmed to have CCHF on June 16. He passed away the following day. Health officials attempted to visit his residence but found it locked, assuming the family had already taken the body to their native town for burial.
CCHF is a severe viral disease with a fatality rate ranging between 10 to 40 percent, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). There is currently no vaccine available. The virus is primarily spread through tick bites or contact with the blood or tissues of infected animals, especially during slaughter. Human-to-human transmission is also possible through direct contact with bodily fluids of infected individuals.
Earlier, the National Institute of Health (NIH) had issued a warning about Congo virus transmission ahead of Eidul Azha, a time when animal handling increases significantly.
In a related case, a 22-year-old animal handler from North Waziristan also succumbed to CCHF at Hayatabad Medical Complex.
Pakistan’s first known outbreak of the virus occurred in 1976, which resulted in the deaths of a surgeon and three healthcare staff due to patient transmission.
