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Friday March 29, 2024

Threat of Congo virus ahead of Eid not ruled out

By Muhammad Qasim
August 12, 2018

Rawalpindi : Reports of confirmed cases of deadly infection Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) from various parts of the country in last two months have convinced health experts to believe that population is at significant risk of facing CCHF threat ahead of the festive occasion of Eidul Azha.

Many health experts expressed to ‘The News’ on Saturday that it is a must for individuals to take necessary preventive measures while handling sacrificial animals on and before the festive occasion of Eidul Azha to avoid incidence of the deadly infection CCHF which is endemic in the country.

People must be aware of the fact that the tick-borne viral disease kills 30-40 per cent of the infected individuals in countries like Pakistan and there is no vaccine available to prevent it.

It is important that a huge number of cattle, sacrificial animals, is being brought to the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi from far flung areas of the country ahead of Eidul Azha and a big chunk of them might not be brought here after proper handling and examination that increases the risk of incidence of CCHF.

Mass scale sacrificial animal movements prior to Eidul Azha may serve as a source of propagation for ticks infested with CCHF thereby increasing the risk of disease transmission, said a top level health official serving at allied hospitals who wanted his name not to be published. The case fatality rate of the deadly infection ranges from two percent to 50 per cent. The CCHF was first described in Crimea in 1944 and identified in 1956 in Congo and hence it is named as Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever. Studies reveal that the CCHF is caused by Nairovirus of the Bunyaviridae family transmitted to humans by the bite of Hyalomma tick that is mostly found on the skin of animals including goat, sheep and cattle. The CCHF is also caused by direct contact with the blood of an infected animal or human. Exposure to blood or tissue of the infected animal during or post slaughtering and direct contact with blood or secretions of infected person may also cause transmission.

It is important that since the diagnosis of first human cases of CCHF in 1976, the sporadic cases have continued to occur across Pakistan. Although Balochistan remains the most affected province yet cases have been reported from almost all geographical regions of the country, said Head of Department of Infectious Diseases at Holy Family Hospital Dr. Muhammad Mujeeb Khan while talking to ‘The News’ on Saturday.

He said the HFH has not received any case of CCHF in recent past however preventive measures ahead of Eidul Azha are a must to avoid deadly infection.

Those who deal with livestock should wear full sleeved light coloured clothes so ticks can be spotted easily. They should also wear shoes with socks, trousers tucked in socks and keep legs covered and use repellent (DEET) on their skin and clothes. Inspection and veterinary support should also be available in animal markets, said Dr. Mujeeb.

People should not touch an animal with bare hands particularly if it has ticks on its skin, said Deputy Director at PIMS Dr. Waseem Ahmed Khawaja. He said the best thing is to avoid buying unhealthy sacrificial animals and handling sacrificial animals properly by keeping skins of the animals free from any type of ticks.

It is worth mentioning here that for the last many years, significant number of cases of the deadly infection is reported in scattered areas of the country mainly because of improper handling of sacrificial animals that have ticks on their skin.