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Congo fever strikes terror as one dies in Gujarat

Doctors at a private hospital in Ahmedabad where 34-year-old Suresh Moriya, a resident of Bhuj in Kutch district, breathed his last confirmed that the man had died of the Crimean Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF), which had killed two people last year.

Moriya, who had contracted the rare, contagious disease, had been hospitalised three days ago for suspected dengue which has similar symptoms like high fever, vomiting and joint pain.

Both the diseases cause internal bleeding, organ failure and ultimately, death. The Congo fever is more common in animals, and authorities suspect a tick bite spreads the virus to humans.

Infectious diseases specialist Dr Atul Patel said that Congo fever had become endemic in Gujarat as sporadic confirmed cases continued to be reported from Bhuj, Amreli, Sanand, Idar and Vadnagar ever since the CCHF virus was first detected in Sanand in 2011.

Currently, Ahmedabad and most parts of Gujarat have also been reporting cases of dengue wherein patients suffer from hemorrhagic fever too what with three new cases coming to light on Friday.

Dr Sandip Malhan, superintendent of a major municipal hospital, told Khaleej Times that the Congo fever spread while handling cattle, goat and sheep infected by the virus, adding that all hospitals had been asked to take precautionary measures and report immediately to the health department of the civic body for any such case. -mahesh@khaleejtimes.com