The Congo fever threat

With precious lives having been lost, an awareness campaign to combat the fatal Congo fever has now been initiated. Dr Saghir Sameeja passed away at a private Karachi hospital on July 30, after contracting the disease from a patient who died on July 16 in Lodhran. Other deaths have also been reported from Bahalwalpur and Karachi. The disease is creeping up on the population and most hospitals are ill-equipped to face the impending possible outbreak. The disease is transmitted to humans via exposure to livestock and ticks. With Eidul Azha not too far away, provincial health departments must take drastic measures as millions of livestock will soon be sold in cattle markets all over the country. The general lack of hygiene will aid the transmission of the virus between humans as a simple exchange of bodily fluids, blood and secretions renders one susceptible to the disease.

While we practise poor community hygiene, even those who have studied infectious diseases are flippant towards mitigating transmission. Health specialists are frequently observed exhibiting disdain for basic health and safety practices, such as wearing gloves. Other missing bio-safety measures include designated quarantine areas in hospitals with specific protocols in place. It is imperative for the government to be prescient at this stage. Providing proper facilities at hospitals has to be a top priority along with complete knowledge about the fitness of livestock across cattle farms in Pakistan. It would be prudent to monitor sales of all livestock, and vaccinations should be administered and documented. Health departments should make mandatory checks at hospitals to ensure that preventative safety procedures issued by the government are being followed. Facilities not meeting requirements should face grave consequences. The threat of Congo fever is serious and thus must result in severe consequences for hospitals that ignore safety procedures.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 2^nd, 2016.

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