Health Authorities Warn of Congo Fever Risk During Eidul Azha
Health authorities have issued a formal warning about the heightened risk of Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF), commonly referred to as Congo fever, in the lead-up to Eidul Azha. The festival, which involves the mass slaughter of livestock across Pakistan, creates conditions that significantly elevate exposure risk to the tick-borne viral disease.
Medical officials have urged butchers, livestock handlers, and households purchasing animals for sacrifice to take stringent precautionary measures, including the use of gloves, protective clothing, and regular hand hygiene. The virus is transmitted primarily through contact with the blood or tissues of infected animals, and human-to-human transmission is also possible in clinical settings.
Congo fever carries a fatality rate of between 10 and 40 percent in confirmed cases, making prevention critical. The National Institute of Health and provincial health departments have been placed on alert, with hospitals in major cities directed to prepare isolation facilities and stock treatment protocols.
Pakistan has recorded Congo fever cases during and after previous Eidul Azha seasons, particularly in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where livestock trade is concentrated. This year's warning reflects ongoing surveillance concerns and the need for coordinated public health communication ahead of one of the country's largest religious observances.
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