Sindh battles Congo virus: Health deptt seeks collaboration with Livestock deptt


-- IV Report

KARACHI: Following recent deaths attributed to Congo Crimean haemorrhagic fever, a tick-borne viral disease, the Sindh health department is engaging with the livestock department to jointly combat the the disease outbreak, it emerged recently.

A source in the department said that the Director General Health Services Sindh, has in a recent letter to his livestock department counterpart requested him to schedule a meeting with the Additional Director Surveillence of the health directorate to enhance coordination between the two departments on the subject of CCHF at the earliest.

In the letter, DG Health says that the livestock department DG may be well aware that CCHF is an emerging public health problem for local and global community. “I bring this news to your attention that a case of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) is reported in District Malir, resulting from the human-animal interface,” the DG added and informed the livestock DG, “As of now, we have reported 05 cases.”

According to an earlier CCHF status report of the Karachi Directorate of Health, in all 14 people, including 5 from Balochistan, were rushed to hospitals in Karachi for treatment in the months of March, May, June and August this year, of which three patients failed to survive the disease, said another source.

It was further learnt that the authorities in the health department wanted to establish a joint rapid response team, including the livestock department personnel, to investigate and respond to CCHF outbreaks.

The health department has proposed to the livestock department to organise an inter-departmental meeting to enhance coordination between the two departments. Any such meeting can lead to further strengthening of the diseases preventive mechanism.

In the meantime, health department has also shared a lists of steps with the livestock department, saying “It is essential that we take immediate preventive and control measures to prevent further transmission.”

According to the official letter, the measures to be taken on priority by the livestock department include: Enhance surveillance and monitoring of livestock for CCHF; Implement tick control measures on livestock, like acaricides, tick repellents; Vaccinate livestock against CCHF (if available); Educate livestock owners and handlers about CCHF prevention and control; Restrict movement of livestock from the virus affected areas; Conduct regular screening of livestock for CCHF; Develop and disseminate awareness materials on CCHF prevention and control, and others. 

With an uninterrupted 23-year career in daily journalism (1991-2013), the author/editor of this blog currently serves as Editor of Social Track, a weekly newspaper focused on social sectors, based in Karachi. Holding a master's degree in Mass Communications from the University of Karachi (1990), his professional experience includes roles as senior reporter at Daily Dawn, Karachi (May 2001-August 2013) and Chief Reporter at The News International, Karachi (April 1991-May 2001). He has a strong background in development journalism, he has an extensive portfolio of news stories, analytical reports and features covering a wide range of sectors. He has had the privilege of covering numerous high-profile figures, including Pakistani presidents, prime ministers, army chiefs, foreign dignitaries, and VVIPs and attending conferences and workshops abroad. He began his journalism career in the early 1980s. Throughout his career, he has received several national awards from government and private organisations. He has contributed to various radio and TV/channel broadcasts and has also served as a trainer at workshops in Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad, focused on training journalists.

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