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QUETTA: Officials in the Balochistan health ministry on Thursday confirmed that they had received the report of two Congo virus cases, with Eidul Azha less than two weeks away.
Dr Sadiq Baloch, additional medical superintendent at Quetta’s Fatima Jinnah Chest and General Hospital, has confirmed the cases. He said the two patients had been placed in an isolation ward.
He said one of the patients was an 11-year-old boy from Chaman while the other was a 40-year-old man from Loralai, while confirming that their condition is stable.
He said both patients came to the hospital complaining of fever and bleeding from the mouth, while subsequent reports of the tests confirmed that he was a patient of the lethal CCHF. Baloch added that during the last one-and-a-half month, seven Congo virus patients were brought to the facility.
A day earlier, the National Institute of Health (NIH) had issued an alert for infectious diseases in the country. In the letter, NIH revealed patterns of high-priority communicable diseases, including hepatitis (A and E), cholera, Covid-19, Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever, Dengue fever, Leishmaniasis, malaria, measles, polio and XDR typhoid.
The main purpose of the letter was to make all health authorities and professionals alert for timely and efficient response to outbreaks. The letter was written for the summer/monsoon season.
Crimean Congo haemorrhagic fever, or Congo virus, is a viral infection transmitted by ticks to both animals and humans. The virus is transmitted by ticks living on the skin of goats, cows, buffalos, and camels, feeding on their blood. It is prevalent in Asia, Africa, Middle East, and South-Eastern Europe and is more common between March to October.