Quetta reports first Congo virus death of 2025, cases rise to 41 in Balochistan

Quetta has reported its first death from the Congo virus this year, as an 18-year-old patient from Pishin passed away at Fatima Jinnah General and Chest Hospital. The young man was admitted on March 29 in critical condition and placed in isolation after testing positive for the virus. The National Institute of Health (NIH) has issued advisories to prevent and control the spread of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF). The virus is carried by ticks and transmitted to humans through bites or contact with the blood and tissues of infected animals like cattle, goats, and sheep. Balochistan has reported a total of 41 Congo virus cases so far this year. Recently, a 25-year-old patient named Sharafuddin was admitted to Fatima Jinnah Hospital in critical condition and later tested positive for the virus. This is not the first outbreak of Congo virus in Balochistan. In the late 1980s and mid-1990s, several people lost their lives to the disease. Authorities are urging caution and preventive measures to curb its spread.