6 die of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever in 2025 so far in Pakistan’s Sindh

ISLAMABAD, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) Six people have died from Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) in Pakistan’s southern Sindh province so far this year, according to a report released by health officials on Friday.
The latest victim, a 28-year-old man from provincial capital Karachi’s Landhi area, was admitted to Jinnah Hospital on Sept. 24 with high fever, bleeding and low blood pressure, according to a notification from the Sindh health department.

Despite being isolated, he passed away that same day. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) laboratory testing later verified CCHF, but dengue and malaria tests came back negative, it added.

Of the six fatalities in Sindh so far this year, five were reported in Karachi and one in Thatta district, officials said. The first death was recorded in June and the previous one in August.
CCHF, characterized by fever, muscle pain and bleeding, has a fatality rate of 10 to 40 percent. The virus is transmitted to humans mainly through tick bites or contact with infected livestock or blood.

The disease still occasionally breaks out in Pakistan, especially in the provinces that raise livestock. Provincial officials have called for increased vigilance to stop the tick-borne virus from spreading further, and the nation’s National Institute of Health has released advisories for prevention and control.