QUETTA: Three people died of Congo virus in Zhob last week and some more are under treatment in the district hospital, officials said.

District Health Officer Dr Shah Mohammad told Dawn on Sunday that the three men had been brought to hospitals from different areas of the district.

Other sources put the number of people falling prey to the deadly virus in the district at four.

Dr Shah said two of the victims hailed from Meens Bazaar area, a locality on the outskirts of Zhob town, and one from Ganji Mohallah. They were identified as Abdullah Jan, 33, Taween Khan, 60, and Sultan Khorati.

The sources said that two of the victims were involved in the livestock trade and believed to have contracted the virus from goats. The third is said to have been hit by Congo while milking his cow.

Provincial Health Minister Rehmat Saleh Baloch took notice of the deaths and directed the authorities concerned to take measures for containing the situation. He told them to reach affected areas and arrange medicines for the district hospital in Zhob so that it could cope with the situation.

Official sources said that a consignment of anti-Congo medicines had been sent to Zhob. Health officials in Zhob have confirmed the arrival of drugs.

An official said that teams of health and livestock departments had been sent to affected areas where they had started spray of anti-Congo medicines.

Published in Dawn, August 18th, 2014