The Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) arranged an awareness seminar on Crimean Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) prevalence in Pakistan at PARC Headquarters.
While addressing the seminar, PARC Chairman Dr Nadeem Amjad, Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Programme Coordinator Dr Muhammad Afzal and Member Animal Science Dr Shahid Rafique urged the scientists to arrange more such seminars in the country, including universities for the awareness of general public about the Congo fever and take necessary steps to control and minimise the disease in Pakistan.
The PARC chairman said that scientists should open a window/helpline to respond people’s queries. The issue should be publicised through electronic and print media, he added.
The FAO coordinator said that PARC and provincial governments are taking necessary steps to control this disease. He said medicines are available to kill the animal ticks through spray and other methods. He said people should be sensitised to use gloves to pick the ticks from animals and ensure proper disposal of these ticks.
PARC Animal Health Programme (AHP) Senior Scientific Officer Dr Farooq gave a detail presentation about the Congo fever, while AHP Animal Sciences Institute (ASI) of National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC) Principal Scientific Officer Dr Aamer Bin Zahur and PARC (AH) Deputy Director Dr Zahida Fatima briefed about the disease.
They said that this disease was identified first time in Crimea (Russia) in 1944. Later on due to this disease, a number of human deaths occurred in an African country Congo during 1954. Therefore, this disease is called CCHF.
They said that in Pakistan, this disease was identified during 1978. The disease is caused by Arbo viruses and is transmitted through Hyaloma ticks of animals. It is a zoonotic disease carried by several domestic and wild animals. Animals are very less affected by this disease and their meat is safe for human consumption after cooking. It puts animal handlers, slaughter-house workers and agricultural labourers at highest risk in endemic areas with secondary transmission possible through contact with infected blood and other body fluids. Human infection is characterised by severe symptoms that often result in death.
They said although there is no proper vaccine available for this disease for either people or animal, but by proper and timely diagnosis and adopting preventive and safety measures we can escape ourselves from this disease.
