Daily Times

Terrifying health threats are like fire. They manage to keep burning no matter how hard science and medicine try to put them out. With another life lost on Monday, the Congo virus situation is fast assuming dangerous proportions.

As many as five healthcare providers have also been affected while the outbreak caused 18 casualties so far. Considering how any reliable vaccine is yet to hit the market, a wave of panic seems to have gripped the said epicentre as all eyes remain fixated on the Balochistan government.

Although a temporary emergency has been imposed with a ban on slaughterhouses and a series of protocols for the transporation of patients needing specialised treatment, precautionary arrangements need to be prioritised in other cities to prevent the spread of the disease. Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic virus is very serious and should be treated as such.

The killer virus comes with a variety of painful symptoms including severe fever with up to 40 per cent fatality. Because it is spread via ticks typically carried by migratory birds, which then latch on to cattle to be later transmitted to humans, the first line of defence should focus on cattle markets.

The provincial health and livestock departments need to be more proactive in combating the disease and deliberate upon a coordinated countrywide campaign to vaccinate all animals.

There remains a slim chance of protection if animal markets are thoroughly targetted and sprayed with effective insecticides. The health departments also need to keep a vigilant eye on any additional outbreaks so that victims can be treated before complications arise. Through contact tracing and awareness-building exercises, they can improve their chances of containing the virus. *