This year, there have been 17 positive cases of  Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF), all of whom are undergoing treatment in various hospitals in the state; the latest being on August 30, when a confirmed case of CCHF was admitted in the Civil Hospital, Asarva in Ahmedabad.

In Gujarat, three people have succumbed to Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF), popularly known as Congo Fever, in a span of just a few days. CCHF is a highly infectious zoonotic disease of humans caused by Hyalomma tick-borne virus (Nairovirus) of the Bunyaviridae family. Animal handlers and veterinarians are among those particularly at high risk of contracting the disease, which causes severe viral haemorrhagic fever and has a fatality rate of 10–40%.

The first confirmed case of Congo Fever in India was reported in 2011 in Gujarat. Since then, eight people have died in the sporadic outbreaks recorded in the state.

Symptoms of the fever are very similar to dengue. According to senior physician Dr. Pravain Garg, “Transmission to human occurs through contact with infected ticks or animal blood. This can be transmitted from one infected human to another through infected blood or body fluids. Symptoms include fever, muscular pain, headache, nausea, skin etc.” The treatment involves administration of the anti-viral drug, Ribavirin and increased intake of fluids. A patient can be cured in a week to 10 days’ time, depending on the individual’s health. But if the patient has multiple organ failure then chances of survival reduce drastically.