Girl contracts Congo virus, shifted to Quetta hospital

CHAMAN: A case of Congo virus surfaced in Balochistan’s Kali Hassan Thekedar ahead of Eid-ul-Adha, provincial health authorities said.

An 11-year-old girl Farishta has been found to be infected by Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever virus has been shifted to Quetta’s Jinnah hospital, health department said on Thursday.

The risk of a Congo virus outbreak ahead of Eid-ul-Adha is rising following the report of this year’s first case in Tando Muhammad Khan, ARY News reported.

A 17-year-old youth from Tando Muhammad Khan suffering from the virus died in a hospital in Karachi. He was brought to the facility exhibiting symptoms of severe fever and internal bleeding. A private hospital laboratory confirmed the presence of the Congo virus in the patient.

Sources stated that the youth was working as an animal caretaker. Health experts noted that the virus can spread from ticks found on livestock to human beings; they have advised citizens to exercise extreme caution when handling sacrificial animals.

Experts also instructed those caring for sacrificial animals to wear gloves at all times to prevent infection.

Health authorities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa earlier issued an advisory to prevent the spread of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever across the province.

An alert issued to hospitals throughout the region, with specific instructions to take precautionary measures ahead of Eid al-Adha.

Authorities have emphasised tick control measures in livestock to curb the spread of the virus, while approving PCR and ELISA tests for diagnosis. Medical staff have been instructed to collect blood samples from suspected patients with extreme caution.