The fear of Congo fever has increased in the city as sacrificial animals are being brought to Lahore from other parts of the province for Eidul Azha.
According to an estimate, as many as 0.3 million sacrificial animals are slaughtered every year in the metropolis on the occasion of Eidul Azha and most of them are brought from southern Punjab, which is considered as a hotbed for the emergence of fatal Congo virus.
The fear of Congo virus further increased when Dr Sagheer Sameejha, a surgeon hailing from Bahawal Victoria Hospital (BVH) of Bahawalpur, died of Congo fever last month. Sameejha got ill after operating a patient of Congo fever as per the medical reports.
Health Department spokesperson Ikhlaq Ali Khan told Pakistan Today that not a single case of Congo fever has been reported in Lahore so far but the health department is trying hard to aware the general public about this fatal virus.
“Prevention is the best cure in this disease and everyone must consider the precautionary measures before handling with the sacrificial animals,” he said.
There is also a responsibility on the part of Livestock and Dairy Development Department to ensure timely anti-Congo virus spray in the cattle markets, he added.
The Crimean–Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) is a widespread tick-borne viral disease that was discovered in 1967 and is carried by domestic and wild animals. As many as 5,000 cases of the fever have been reported worldwide with a fatality rate of 50 per cent. The first case of CCHF was reported in Pakistan in 1976 and five people have lost their lives because of the disease in the current year.
Dr Salman Kazmi, general secretary of Pakistan Young Doctors Association, told this scribe that there is a dire need of national policy to deal with such viral diseases as several people die because of such diseases every year. In past some years, we have seen Dengue, Influenza Congo and other such infectious diseases, killing precious human lives and time has come to formulate a national policy to counter these viruses, he added.
“We have prepared a textbook in which 26 viral diseases have been discussed thoroughly and have also mentioned precautionary measures to deal with such diseases. This book will be launched very soon and the government must include this book in our school curriculum to aware the next generation,” Kazmi said.
The City District Government Lahore (CDGL) has established seven cattle markets in the city for the sale and purchase of sacrificial animals while strict action will be taken in case of violation. Section 144 will be imposed on those who will sell their animals at a location other than the established cattle markets.
“We have established seven check posts at entry points of the city for screening of animals,” Lahore District Coordination Officer Captain (r) Muhammad Usman told Pakistan Today.
According to him, the livestock department has been instructed to ensure all safety measures against Congo virus in the city.
