July 1 (EUROPA PRESS) –
Up to 36 people have been infected with Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever in the past two months in the western province of Herat, Afghanistan, doctors in this area have reported.
The number of cases has risen this year, according to Herat Public Health Deputy Mohammad Asif Kabir, leading authorities to worry about the spread of disease, prompting medical staff at the department of infectious diseases at the Herat provincial hospital has urged people to take the required precautions before slaughtering animals.
Authorities have said 91 people in Afghanistan have been infected with the disease in the past week and seven people have died so far this summer, the Khaama Press agency reported.
“We are fully prepared because this disease is not new and we have better measures at Takhar Provincial Hospital than in the past,” said Hayatullah Emami, director of Takhar Provincial Hospital.
Congo fever is frequently transmitted from animals to humans by ticks, especially during slaughter, and its main symptoms are fever, heartburn, diarrhea, internal and external bleeding, neck discomfort, and eye pain.
The virus can create epidemics, has a high case fatality rate of 10 to 40 percent, can cause outbreaks in hospitals and other health care institutions, and is difficult to treat and prevent, making fever outbreaks of the Congo are a risk to public health services.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control recommends euthanizing animals with gloves and other protective equipment, blood and body fluids from animals or people showing symptoms of disease should not be shared between individuals, and health professionals should take the necessary precautions. correct infection control procedures to avoid occupational exposure.
