A man has died of the Congo virus in Quetta, the capital city of Balochistan, on Monday.
Hospital officials at Fatima Jinnah Hospital confirmed that the 55-year-old patient, who was undergoing treatment for the virus, succumbed to the disease.
This latest death brings the total number of fatalities from the Congo virus in Balochistan to six this year.
So far, 33 confirmed cases of the Congo virus have been reported in Balochistan in 2023, with cases continuing to rise. More patients from Quetta and surrounding areas are being admitted to Fatima Jinnah Hospital for treatment, while several others remain under care.
Healthcare professionals explain that the Congo virus (Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever) causes symptoms such as fever, headache, and, in severe cases, bleeding from the nose and mouth due to low platelet and white blood cell counts. The potentially fatal disease is primarily transmitted to humans through bites from infected ticks or contact with the blood of infected livestock.
To prevent the spread of the virus, experts recommend that the livestock department carry out regular spraying of livestock with tick-killing acaricides, especially in cattle markets and rural areas across Balochistan, where contact with infected animals is more likely.