Congo fears

Karachi may soon be facing a Congo virus epidemic for which it is woefully unprepared. Already six people have succumbed to the virus and the number is likely to increase exponentially as Eidul Azha approaches. The Congo virus is a tick-borne disease which is transferred to humans from animals. This means the risk of contracting the virus is particularly high right now at places like the cattle market on the Super Highway in Karachi, where thousands of people purchase sacrificial animals. There is no cure for the Congo virus and no vaccinations for humans either. There is a vaccine for animals and, ideally, the government would have ensured that all sacrificial animals were vaccinated against the virus. Needless to say, that did not happen and it may be too late to start vaccinating animals now since the vaccine has a three-week incubation period. We can be almost certain that the virus is present in cattle markets since over 120 animals have died at the Super Highway market. This is a public health crisis of which the government should have been aware. Then it could have initiated a mass vaccination programme and sent inspectors to all cattle markets to check for vaccination certificates. What we got from the government was only silence and so labourers working at these markets and those purchasing animals have no idea how to guard against the virus.

There are some precautions the public can take to minimise their chances of contracting the virus. First, only long-sleeved shirts and long trousers should be worn so that ticks do not come in contact with skin. Clothing should be light-coloured to easily detect any ticks and if any are found, chemicals must be used to kill the ticks. Animals, too, need to be regularly checked for ticks. All hospitals need to set up isolated wards for Congo virus victims and educate doctors on how to safely handle these patients. One doctor has died in Karachi from coming in contact with a patient. All these measures should have been publicised by the government months ago and cattle markets not allowed to flourish throughout the city. Even now, it would be better to restrict their sale to a few approved areas and levy harsh punishments on those who flout the rules. Whenever a virus has threatened to reach epidemic proportions, be it dengue, swine or bird flu, our government has been one of the slowest to react around the world. Other viruses that could potentially reach Pakistan, such as Zika, have been blithely ignored. The Congo virus is already here and already killing people. It may be too late to prevent some loss of life thanks to government lethargy but it now has to spring into action to keep the number as low as possible.