Congo fever: Preventive measures urged while slaughtering animals

KABUL (Pajhwok): On the eve of Eid-ul-Adha, doctors fear a possible increase in Congo fever cases and recommend the use of gloves, masks, glasses and long clothes while slaughtering an animal.

According to physicians, Congo Fever is a zoonotic illness and the virus is transmitted to humans through contact with infected ticks and animal blood and from one infected person to another and its symptoms are severe fever, headache, muscles pain, joints pain, pain in stomach, throat pain, conjunctivitis, jaundice and anemia.

The doctors asked butchers and those keeping animals to adopt preventive measures while approaching animals.

Infectious Diseases Hospital in Kabul is the only facility for such illnesses, including Congo fever, where dozens of people refer to every day.

Mohammad Sadiq Naimi, an infectious diseases specialist at this hospital, said that Congo fever was a contagious disease that spread to human beings through tick bites or contact with the blood or meat of animals.

Dr Naimi also stressed the need for preventive measures and use of gloves, masks, glasses and long clothes while slaughtering an animal.

Dr Mohammad Ibrahim Dalili, a specialist in internal medicine, said if preventive measures were not taken, the number of positive Congo cases would surge in Afghanistan.

“No vaccine has been developed for this disease and 30 to 40 percent of infected people die from it,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) also expressed concern about the increase in positive Congo fever cases in Afghanistan.

Last week, the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) said more than 200 people contracted Congo disease and six of them lost their lives in different parts of the country over the past five months.

Dr. Sharafat Zaman, spokesman for MoPH, said Congo cases had surged by 38 percent this year and urged people to strictly follow instructions.

sa/ma

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