KABUL (SW) – Officials at the Ministry of Public Health report that in 2023, 114 people died as due to contracting Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) in Afghanistan, showing an increase compared to the previous year.
Fakhruddin Stanekzai, Head of Infectious Diseases at the Ministry of Public Health, says that last year 1,138 people were infected with Congo fever, while this figure was 431 the previous year.
He adds: “This disease has increased. In 1402 [Solar Hijri calendar], 1,138 cases have been recorded, including 114 deaths, while in 1401, 431 cases were recorded and 11 deaths occurred.”
Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever is a deadly viral disease transmitted to humans through the bite of infected ticks and subsequent contact or consumption of infected animal meat.
Meanwhile, officials at the Antanis Hospital in Kabul city say that Congo fever spreads every year at the end of the summer.
Faridullah Omari, a specialist trainer at the Antanis Hospital, identifies high fever, headache, muscle pain, neck stiffness, back pain, eye redness, and depression as signs of Congo fever.
“People with wounds on their bodies should not get close to slaughterhouses; they should not touch animals without gloves, and when cooking animal meat, they should make sure it is thoroughly cooked,” He said.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock initiated an animal disinfection campaign in livestock markets in Kabul last year to prevent the spread of Congo fever.
