Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Vice Chancellor Dr Javed Iqbal said on Thursday that people should buy animals online for Eid-ul-Azha to prevent Congo virus or wear gloves and masks if they go to the cattle markets.
Talking to a news channel, he said that humans are getting infected when they come in direct contact with blood or tissues from infected animals or bites of infected ticks.
He said people who work in close contact with livestock such as those working in agriculture, slaughterhouses and veterinary hospitals are at a higher risk of acquiring the disease.
Replying to a question, he said once a human is affected, the infection spreads to other people if they come in contact with the patient’s infected blood or body fluids and can cause them to die.
“Infection could also spread in hospitals during injections and surgical procedures,” he said, adding that hospital staff who are treating these patients are at a higher risk of developing the infection.
Replying to another question he said, “Symptoms of Congo virus are high fever, body/muscles pain with red spots appearing on the body, however, about 80% patients can be cured if they are diagnosed at an early stage.”
Dr Javed said that a person cannot be infected by eating well-cooked infected meat since the virus does not survive after the meat has been cooked.