Congo threat

We seem to face dangers at every level of our lives. There is the dengue virus lurking in the air, water-borne diseases that kill tens of thousands each year and of course the enormous risks posed by terrorist violence. Now we have a new addition to this list. According to the KP Livestock Department in a document shared with this newspaper, the Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever virus, better known as the Congo virus, has spread through animal markets in Peshawar where livestock in large numbers have been brought ahead of Eidul Azha. Reports say that nine people have already died after contracting the virus, which is almost invariably fatal. Most of our hospitals lack the knowledge which may in some cases enable people to survive one of the most deadly diseases in the world.
There is apprehension that the risk could increase as the circulation of animals becomes more widespread ahead of Eid. People keeping livestock at home also face a risk. The virus is transmitted through contact with the bodily fluids of the animal – including blood – at the time of slaughter but is most usually passed on to humans through a tick that lives on the hind of the animals and carries the fatal disease. We evidently need to create, at the very least, greater awareness about the risk that has been brought by the large influx of animals into a city like Peshawar. Those who are in frequent contact with animals, including the keepers of livestock, vets, poachers and others, are most at risk. We have had outbreaks of the virus before. In many cases, doctors at hospitals have been mystified by the disease and treatment has begun too late. Given the situation that now prevails in Peshawar, it is important that all hospitals in the city be put on alert. The virus is rarely transmitted from human to human, but this can happen when there is contact with body fluids. Given that Eid lies just days away, there is little time to lose. The health authorities need to take action; animals in livestock places should be tested and if necessary put down, and their human handlers warned about the risks. The Congo virus is not a disease we can risk playing about with. The danger is very real.