Home / Health / Sindh Reports First Fatal Crimean-Congo Fever Case
Sindh Reports First Fatal Crimean-Congo Fever Case
23 Apr
Summary
- A 17-year-old cattle farm worker in Tando Adam died from CCHF.
- Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever has a case fatality rate up to 40 percent.
- The virus spreads via ticks and livestock; human-to-human transmission is possible.
A tragic first has been reported in Sindh this year, with the province experiencing its initial fatality due to Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF). The victim, a 17-year-old individual employed at a cattle farm in Tando Adam, was admitted to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre with symptoms of fever and bleeding.
After clinical suspicion of CCHF, the patient's samples were sent for testing, confirming the infection. The individual was subsequently transferred to the Sindh Infectious Diseases Hospital and Research Centre, where the fatality occurred. The World Health Organization notes that CCHF can cause severe outbreaks with a mortality rate as high as 40 percent.
The virus is primarily transmitted through contact with infected ticks and livestock animals. Human-to-human transmission can also occur through close contact with the blood or bodily fluids of infected individuals. CCHF is found in various regions across Africa, the Balkans, the Middle East, and Asia, with no available vaccine for prevention.
