Deadly disease: Prevention is the best way to beat the Congo virus

Symptoms will usually develop around one to 3 days after exposure to ticks, and 5 to 7 days after exposure to blood

KARACHI:

Health experts should raise awareness among the public to take extra precautionary measures while visiting cattle markets and handling sacrificial animals during Eidul Azha. Taking the necessary precautions is the best way to avoid the fatal Congo virus, also known as the Crimean Congo Viral Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF).

At the health awareness session on Congo Virus at the Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) on Thursday, the participants were informed that a total of 59 cases of Congo virus have been reported across the country since 2010.

Dr Faisal Mahmood, a consultant on infectious diseases said that patients infected with the virus could recover if diagnosed and treated on time. "There are no symptoms displayed by the animal that is carrying the tick," Dr Mahmood told The Express Tribune.

Speaking about preventive measures, Dr Irum Qamar, a senior instructor at the Department of Emergency Medicine, advised to wear long sleeves clothes and closed shoes with socks.

Initial symptoms of the CCHF include sudden onset of high fever with muscle aches, backache and headache. Symptoms will usually develop around one to three days after exposure to ticks (rarely a maximum of 9 days) and five to seven days after exposure to blood (rarely up to 14 days).

Published in The Express Tribune, October 3^rd, 2014.