K-P reports six Congo virus cases

Three suspected patients have already died in Peshawar

PESHAWAR:

Integrated Disease, Surveillance and Response Unit of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Health Department has released an initial report about Congo virus in the province, showing that at least six confirmed cases of the disease in humans have been reported so far.

Two patients came from Lower Kurram who have been identified as Shoaib, 31, and Wahid, 32. Both of them had high fever for which they consulted doctors and all the symptoms pointed towards Congo fever.

Another patient from the same Lower Kurram tested negative for the disease.

One Afghan national Saddam, 50, has also been found infected by the Congo virus who was hospitalized and later discharged after he full recovery.

One suspected case has been reported from Peshawar district but the test results of the patient are still awaited. One man from Mathra area of Peshawar had already died of the virus.

He was dealt as a suspected case but the test results didn’t confirm it. The father and brother of the deceased have also died of the same disease.

Reports say that a neighbour of the three deceased patients from Peshawar has also been admitted to Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC) after developing similar symptoms.

“A letter has been sent to the K-P Director General Livestock to collect samples from cattle in Mathra where three people reportedly died of the disease,” said an official while talking to The Express Tribune.

Letters have also been sent to District Health Officer (DHO) Kurram and Peshawar for contact screening and taking appropriate measures. They have been directed to take complete care of the patients.

DHOs were asked to carry out an awareness campaign among the masses so they could prevent themselves.

It may be mentioned here that Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) has already infected thousands of cattle across the province and Congo virus has been reported in cattle in the province. K-P government is traditionally accused of twisting reports about the deaths caused by Dengue in the province and the real deaths from Congo could be much higher.

Vaccination against LSD

On Friday, Special Assistant to the Chief Minister K-P on Information and Public Relations, Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif said that till now about one lakh cattle have been vaccinated in the province to prevent LSD.

Giving details about the steps taken to prevent the disease in cattle, Barrister Saif said the first case of LSD came to light on April 22 this year in DI Khan.

He said a mobile app is also being introduced in this regard through which, the public can register complaints of LSD in cattle, following which field staff teams will reach the spot and vaccinate the cattle.

He said 150 members of field staff has been trained for LSD vaccination and they  have also been provided 50 mobile veterinary clinics.

In addition, 56 check posts have been set up out of which 30 check posts at inter-district and 26 at inter-provincial borders have been set up where animals’ vaccination is in progress, he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 25^th, 2022.