After bankruptcy, political turmoil, Pakistan hit by ‘incurable’ virus causing ‘Congo Fever’

These are bad times for Pakistan, from an economy in tatters to politics in doldrums, and the situation has further been compounded by an outbreak of an incurable disease that has now started claiming the lives of doctors and paramedics.

The disease that has come to haunt rural and suburban areas of Balochistan is called the Congo Fever, is exceptionally difficult to treat, and has forced the province to declare a health emergency after infected some 47 people and claimed the life of a doctor.

Cause by a virus, the fatality rate of Congo Fever can spike up to 40 per cent. The virus is carried by ticks on cattle and, according to health specialists, the disease has spread among suburban and rural population of the province owing to their proximity to cattle.

While antiviral drug ribavirin is one of the potential cures, it has failed to reach the remote parts of Balochistan that have been worst affected.

The National quoted Balochistan Minister for Health Dr Ameer Muhammad Jogezai as saying, “These cases have been reported over the months. But this time the disease has hit headlines because it has also infected 12 medics, including doctors and paramedics.”

“The first case was a Congo virus patient coming from Pishin area to Quetta Civil Hospital for treatment on October 21 and the same patient later infected the hospital staff too,” he said.

According to reports, some hospital staff, a hospital security guard and an administration employee took off from the hospital after being suspected of having contracted the infection. The local authorities had to launch a manhunt to track them down and get them admitted for medical treatment.

Authorities, according to media reports, have advised people to use gloves and masks while handling cattle.
Media reports from Pakistan also suggested that one of the major problems in treating patients in a timely manner was the backwardness of infrastructure in Balochistan. The province has remained neglected for decades and has bad or non-existent road infrastructure. It is difficult for patients to endure the harrowing transport to hospitals via roads and air ambulances were few and far in between, also afflicted by bad weather.