A 26-year-old man from Karachi’s Ibrahim Hyderi area died on Thursday from Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF), commonly known as Congo virus. This unfortunate event marks the second confirmed death from the virus in Sindh province this year, according to a report from the provincial health department.
The World Health Organization (WHO) characterizes CCHF as a tick-borne viral disease with a case fatality rate that can range from 10% to 40%. The virus has the potential to transmit through tick bites or via direct contact with the blood or tissues of infected animals, particularly during slaughtering. Crucially, there is currently no vaccine available for CCHF.
The patient, identified as Zubair, was initially admitted to the emergency ward at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) and was diagnosed as a suspected CCHF case. Due to a lack of available beds, he was subsequently referred to the Sindh Infectious Disease Hospital & Research Centre (SIDH), where he tragically succumbed to the illness on the morning of June 19.
This latest death follows closely on the heels of another CCHF fatality; a 42-year-old man from Karachi’s Malir district passed away from the virus just a day prior, on June 17.
In addition to the cases in Sindh, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) health department reported on Wednesday that two individuals in KP’s Karak district have also tested positive for CCHF. Dr. Qudratullah confirmed that both patients are currently receiving treatment at a Peshawar hospital and are in stable condition.
The onset of CCHF is typically sudden, with initial signs and symptoms often including headache, high fever, rashes, back pain, joint pain, stomach pain, and vomiting.
