Afghanistan: 2 deaths reported from Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever in North
May 27, 2023
Kabul [Afghanistan], May 28 : The health department of Afghanistan's Balkh province has reported that in the past week, two people have died from the Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) in Afghanistan's northern region, Afghanistan-based TOLO News reported.
A total of ten positive cases of CCHF have been recorded in the region, according to TOLO News.
CCHF is a widespread disease caused by a tick-borne virus (Nairovirus).
Local Balkh officials said that incidents of this illness were rising in the country's north, and they urged religious leaders and the media to warn people about the dangers associated with the disease's spread.
Director of the health department of Balkh, Najibullah Tawana, said: "Ten positive cases of Congo have been recorded; sadly, we had two deaths. The Abu Ali Sinai regional hospital in Balkh has its own particular preparations, and the 50-bed Antani hospital is also ready."
"The media has a special responsibility to save the wellness of a Muslim brother, protect him from illness, and provide them with awareness in the health section," said Zabihullah Noorani, director of the Department of Information and Culture of Balkh.
As per the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), transmission to humans occurs through "contact with infected ticks or animal blood," and CCHF "can be transmitted from one infected human to another by contact with infectious blood or body fluids."
"We try and tell all the scholars to inform the people about the Congo disease," said Saifuddin Azizi, head of the Department of Hajj and Islamic Affairs of Balkh.
A resident of the province of Balkh, Ahmad Zubair, said that one of his relatives who kept livestock recently became ill with Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF). "He was gushing blood from his mouth and nose. They told us that the patient had Congo when we brought him to the hospital," said Ahmad Zubair, according to TOLO News.
"A person who acquires Congo disease will often have a fever, pain, headache, exhaustion, and weakness as a result of the illness. The patient then experiences mental health issues," said Nabiullah Amiri, head of the 50-Bed Antani Hospital in Balkh.
According to physicians, the symptoms of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) include a high fever, headache, bodily discomfort, nausea, stomach pain, and occasionally bleeding.
