KARACHI: The Sindh health department in Karachi has confirmed the first case of the potentially fatal Congo virus this year.
A 28-year-old man named Muhammad Adil, who resides in Nazimabad, visited Ziauddin Hospital on Thursday as an outpatient. Health officials at the hospital took samples from the patient and sent them to the Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) for testing, which confirmed that he had contracted the Congo virus.
Qasim Siraj Soomro, the parliamentary secretary on health, stated that the health department received the results on Sunday evening and quickly dispatched a team to bring Adil to the Infectious Disease Hospital located at NIPA Chowrangi.
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.
