The first case of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) in 2025 has been reported in Karachi, where a 42-year-old man died just a day after being diagnosed with the viral infection, health officials confirmed.
According to Sindh Health Department spokesperson Meeran Yousuf, the patient was admitted to Indus Hospital in Korangi and tested positive for CCHF on June 16. Despite immediate medical attention, he could not survive the aggressive infection.
A team of health experts later visited the deceased’s residence for investigation but found it locked. “The team presumed that the family had taken the body to their native hometown for burial,” Yousuf added in a statement to local media.
Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever is a tick-borne viral disease with a high fatality rate. It can also spread through direct contact with the blood, saliva, or other bodily fluids of infected persons, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Symptoms of the disease appear suddenly and include high fever, severe headache, muscle pain, neck stiffness, eye pain, and sensitivity to light. In severe cases, internal and external bleeding may occur.
CCHF first emerged in Pakistan in 1976, when a surgeon and three healthcare workers in Rawalpindi lost their lives after contracting the virus from a patient.
With the onset of the Eid-ul-Azha season — a period typically associated with increased animal slaughter and heightened exposure to ticks — health officials have urged citizens to exercise extreme caution, especially those handling livestock.
The Sindh Health Department is expected to issue fresh advisories to curb further spread of the virus.
