Congo virus claims two lives in Peshawar 

PESHAWAR: Two patients infected with the Congo virus have died at Hayatabad Medical Complex in Peshawar, ARY News reported quoting health department.

According to the provincial health department, the deceased have been identified as Aizaz, aged 28, and Shafiullah, aged 70.

Their deaths have raised the total number of Congo virus-related fatalities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to three this year.

The health department has urged heightened vigilance to curb the spread of the tick-borne virus, which is often transmitted through contact with infected animals or ticks.

Earlier in April, Quetta recorded its first death from Congo virus this year, as an 18-year-old patient succumbed to the disease.

The young man, a resident of Pishin, passed away at Fatima Jinnah General and Chest Hospital in Quetta.

Read More: Balochistan registers another Congo virus case

He was admitted to the hospital on March 29 in critical condition and placed in the isolation ward after Congo virus was confirmed in his diagnosis. This marked the first Congo virus-related death in Quetta in 2025.

It is pertinent to mention here that the National Institute of Health (NIH) issued advisories for the prevention and control of CCHF.

In the wake of high disease transmission, it is imperative to be vigilant about the situation and take steps to interrupt the transmission of CCHF.

It explained that CCHF is caused by tick-borne Nairovirus. Animals such as cattle, goats, sheep and hares are carriers of this virus, which is transmitted to people by tick bites or through contact with infected blood or tissues during and immediately after slaughter.