Second congo virus case reported this year

A 22-year-old man from Quetta has tested positive for Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF), making it the second confirmed Congo virus case reported in the country this year, hospital officials said on Wednesday.

According to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), the patient, identified as Rahmatullah, was brought to the hospital after suffering from fever and recurrent nosebleeds for two days. Medical examinations revealed critically low platelet and haemoglobin levels, along with significantly elevated liver enzymes. A Congo PCR test was conducted alongside other investigations, and the result confirmed the viral infection.

Following the diagnosis, the patient was shifted to a hospital at Nipa for specialised treatment and medical observation, where he remains under care. Health experts said Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever is a potentially fatal viral disease primarily transmitted through the bite of infected ticks. The virus can also spread through direct contact with the blood or tissues of infected animals.

They warned that healthcare workers and caregivers are at risk of infection through exposure to the blood or bodily fluids of infected patients and stressed the importance of strict infection prevention measures.