Six deaths from Congo virus alert health authorities in Balochistan

QUETTA: At least six people including women and children have lost their lives due to the Congo virus in different Balochistan districts in the ongoing year, ARY News reported on Saturday.

According to provincial health authorities, 35 cases of the Congo virus have been reported in Balochistan, out of which six people have died.

This is not the first time that an epidemic of Congo virus has broken out in Balochistan, but dozens of people have died from this epidemic in the late 80s and mid-90s.

Last month, a 28-year-old man, who emerged as this year’s first case of the life-threatening Congo virus in Karachi, died during treatment at a private hospital in the metropolis.

The virus is primarily transmitted to humans by ticks on cattle and other livestock and can cause severe fever, muscle pain, vomiting, and internal bleeding. It has a high fatality rate, and there is currently no vaccine or specific treatment for the virus.

The provincial health department has urged citizens to take precautions to avoid contracting the virus, such as wearing protective clothing and using insect repellents when in contact with cattle or other livestock.