ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s southern Sindh province has reported its second death from Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) this year, as a patient died in Karachi on Thursday, the provincial health department has confirmed.
The deceased, a 26-year-old, had been admitted to Indus Hospital. According to Dr Abdul Waheed, the patient arrived with a high fever and signs of internal bleeding—both key symptoms of the Congo virus.
This is the second confirmed Congo virus-related death in Karachi in recent weeks. Health authorities are urging the public to adopt preventive measures, especially when handling livestock or visiting high-risk areas.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), CCHF is a tick-borne viral disease with a case fatality rate ranging from 10% to 40%.
The virus is transmitted through tick bites or by coming into contact with the blood or tissues of infected animals, especially during slaughter. Currently, there is no available vaccine.
The latest death comes just a day after a 42-year-old man from Karachi’s Malir district died of CCHF on June 17.
Moreover, two individuals also tested positive for the CCHF in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Karak district, the KP health department said on Wednesday.
In Pakistan, cases of infection often surge around Eid al-Adha, as the buying, transportation, and slaughter of millions of animals significantly increase human exposure to infected ticks and animal blood.
The country reported its first case of Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) in 1976 and has since experienced sporadic outbreaks, especially in rural regions and provinces such as Balochistan, which recorded 23 cases and five fatalities last year.
