ISLAMABAD, Oct 4: The World Health Organisation, the National Institute of Health and the provincial health authorities of Balochistan will start investigations from Friday into the reports about the outbreak of Crimean Congo Haemmoraghic Fever (CCHF) in Quetta.
Speaking at a press conference here on Thursday, the United Nations Information centre director, Eric Falt, said that 40 cases of the CCHF were detected in different parts of the country earlier during the months of May to August.
At least 11 persons are known to have died from the disease during this time period, he said, adding, the cases were reported by Pakistan’s health authorities and substantiated by the WHO.
Director UNIC said that the first case of CCHF was detected in May and the last was reported in August. “The disease is not new in Pakistan and has affected people from Quetta to Karachi in the past.” The disease spreads through bite of ticks and affects the human population, he said.
About the authenticity of the reports that CCHF, labelled as “Ebola like virus,” has spread in Quetta, Mr Falt said that the Quetta based WHO officials have not confirmed new cases and a fact finding mission will be leaving for the city. The citizens should not draw any conclusions until the reports are confirmed, he said.
The medical teams being dispatched to Quetta are to monitor people’s health and immediately screen anybody who might harbour symptoms of the disease.
According to UN officials, the CCHF is said to be “Ebola like” which itself is a highly contagious and often fatal form of Viral Haemmoraghic Fever. The reported cases of the Ebola virus occurred in Sudan in 1976 and 1979, Zaire in 1976, 1977, and 1995, Ivory Coast, Liberia and Gabon in 1996, along with cases of an Ebola- like virus in monkeys in the United States in 1996.
Doctors told Dawn that in Pakistan the disease has been reported in Afghan nationals and refugees. Earlier this year, two cases of Congo Fever were brought to Shifa International Hospital Islamabad who later expired.
The doctors and paramedic staff dealing with the cases were also affected because of the highly contagious nature of the disease, but since infection in the doctors was detected early, they survived, doctors said, adding similar cases were detected in other parts of the country.