Hospitals in the southern Pakistani regions of Sindh and Balochistan were placed on high alert on Monday after a person died from the Congo virus, according to a Sindh health official, and 11 other people reportedly became sick.
After contracting the Congo virus, Dr. Shukrullah Langove was transported by road from the capital of Balochistan, Quetta, to Aga Khan Hospital in Karachi. But when the physicians arrived on Sunday, they declared him dead.
The Sindh Health Department’s Shabbir Ali Babar told the media that “a high alert has been issued in the province and hospitals across Sindh have been directed to adopt preventive measures against the virus.”
Eleven patients from Balochistan are now receiving treatment at the Aga Khan Hospital in Karachi, according to Babar.
Babar stated, “A special ward at the Infectious Disease Hospital has been established by the Sindh Health Department for Congo patients arriving from Balochistan.”
In the meantime, all hospitals in the province received a health advice from the Sindh Health Department instructing them to take precautionary steps against the virus.
Earlier, a Quetta-based doctor who contracted the Congo virus passed away while being transported to Karachi for treatment on Sunday.
The Congo virus is a dangerous virus that can cause bleeding at an early stage and is transmitted to humans primarily through ticks on cattle and other livestock. Symptoms of the virus are similar to those of dengue fever but can quickly become life-threatening. The health department has advised people to take precautions such as wearing protective clothing and using insect repellent when in contact with livestock to avoid contracting the virus.
Medical experts warn that the Congo virus has a high fatality rate, and there is currently no specific treatment or vaccine available for the virus.
