QUETTA, May 16: A shepherd died of an extremely contagious haemorrhagic fever here, a hospital spokesman said Thursday.

Dr Taj Mohammad of the TB Sanatorium hospital said Sanzar Khan was believed to have died of Crimean Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF), which killed two people, including a young doctor, in February.

He said blood samples would be sent to Johannesburg, South Africa for confirmation of the diagnosis.

An Afghan woman was admitted to the hospital Tuesday with similar symptoms and was in “dangerous” condition.

CCHF is a tick-borne virus stemming from livestock which is transmitted into open cuts and sores. It causes massive bleeding through the nose, mouth and ears and can lead to organ failure.

The contagious disease can be passed on by contact with the blood and other body fluids of a patient. Initial symptoms include headaches, fever and vomiting.

Two people died of the fever in Quetta last May, while it also claimed 18 lives in southwestern Balochistan in 2000. —AFP