Health
WHO says 47 died from Crimean-Congo fever in Afghanistan in past six months
A total of 47 people have died of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) in Afghanistan since the beginning of 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Thursday.
WHO in a report said that the total number of CCHF cases in Afghanistan during the period was 494 in 32 provinces.
Out of total cases (494), 493 (99.8%) were above 5 years of age and 141 (28.5%) were females.
The CCHF associated deaths were reported from 16 provinces (Kabul (19), Balkh (6), Takhar (5), Parwan (3), Jawzjan (2), Kandahar (2), and 1 from each of the following provinces: Badakhshan, Baghlan, Faryab, Ghazni, Kapisa, Khost, Kunduz, Paktya, Sar-e-pul and Wardak provinces.
CCHF is carried by domestic animals and can be transmitted by ticks. It is found in Africa, Eastern Europe and Asia. Symptoms include headaches, back pains, vomiting, severe bruising and nose bleeds.
CCHF first appeared in Crimea in 1944 and was later identified in 1956 as the cause of an illness in what is now Democratic Republic of Congo.