ISLAMABAD: The National Institute of Health (NIH) on Tuesday issued an advisory on preventing and controlling Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever and Primary Ameobic Meningo-encephalitis, Naegleriasis.
According to NIH, the Institute’s Field Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance Division issued advisories to alert human and animal healthcare authorities and strengthen further and improve the preparedness level to prevent and control Naegleriasis and CCHF.
In the wake of high disease transmission risk due to the increased human-animal interaction during the Eid-ul-Azha, it is important to be vigilant about the health situation and take the required steps to interrupt the transmission of CCHF.
Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever is a widespread illness caused by a tick-borne virus called Nairovirus of the Bunyaviridae family. Numerous wild and domestic animals like goats, sheep, cattle, and hares are carriers of this virus.
The CCHF virus is transmitted to people by bites or contact with infected animal tissues and blood during and immediately after slaughter during Eid. CCHF can be transmitted from one infected individual to another by contact with infectious secretions, blood, or body fluids.
NIH Protective Guidelines
According to the NIH advisory, Balochistan has reported eighty-one, and KP reported 3 suspected cases this year, out of which twenty-seven were positive from Balochistan, including 5 deaths up to June 2023. There is no vaccine available for humans, and the sole way to reduce the infection risk is by raising awareness.
The advisory said that the public health advice should focus on multiple aspects, including wearing protective clothing (long trousers, long sleeves), light-colored clothing to make detection of ticks easy on the clothes, and using approved insect repellent on the skin.
