LAHORE: Post Graduate Medical Institute (PGMI) Principal and Lahore General Hospital Prof Ghiasun Nabi Tayyab has asked the public to be cautious while purchasing sacrificial animals for Eidul Azha because of the Congo virus threat. He noted that no anti-Congo virus vaccine has been discovered, therefore “we would have to be very careful while purchasing sacrificial animals on Eidul Azha”. He asked the people to make sure that the sacrificial animals they purchase do not have ticks in its hide and added that Congo fever is a fatal disease which can be avoided only by adopting precautionary measures. Prof Tayyab expressed these views addressing an awareness campaign about Congo virus held at the PGMI auditorium on Saturday. Dr Javed Asghar Magsi, Dr Muheen Qasim and Dr Razi Hyder Zaidi also spoke at the event, which was attended by a large number of doctors, nurses and members of the general public. Prof Tayyab said Congo fever is an epidemic which is more lethal than cancer and grows in the skin of goats and other such animals. “We must be very careful on Eidul Azha and take maximum preventive measures while dealing with sacrificial animals,” he said, adding that Congo virus originated from African countries and is caused by ticks living in the skins of goats, cows, buffalos and camels. These tucks feed on the blood of these animals. The patient of Congo virus suffers from nausea, fever, hunger, weakness and swelling of eyes. His white blood cell count drops immediately and they start bleeding, which leads to death. Prof Tayyab said Congo virus is spreading fast across the world “so we should be very careful about it”.