KARACHI: The Sindh health department on Friday declared the sixth death from Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) in the province since June.

The victim, a 28-year-old man, was a butcher by profession and resident of Landhi. He died on Wednesday.

“The patient had high fever, cough and vomiting blood when he was brought to the emergency department of the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre on Sept 24. He died the same day,” health department spokesperson Meeran Yousuf said in a statement.

The patient, who was isolated immediately after the test, had a history of animal and tick exposure due to his profession. “The case was verified by a surveillance team, which collected details of his contact history and risk factors,” the statement added.

According to the department’s data, all the six CCHF victims were men. Four of them were residents of Malir and one hailed from Thatta. Three deaths were reported in June, one each in July and August.

Commonly known as Congo fever, CCHF causes severe viral haemorrhagic fever outbreaks with a case fatality rate of 10 to 40 per cent. There is no vaccine available for the disease.

According to experts, the CCHF virus is primarily transmitted to people either by tick bites or through contact with infected animal blood or tissues during and immediately after slaughter.

CCHF is endemic to Pakistan, which sees several deaths from the illness every year, especially during the Eidul Azha period when animals’ movement increases, they added.

Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2025