Crimean-Congo fever kills over 70 in Afghanistan: Health Ministry
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667 cases of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) have been reported in Afghanistan.
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Injured men receive treatment at a hospital in Ghazni province, west of Kabul, Afghanistan. August 12, 2018. (AP)
Since the beginning of 2023, Afghanistan has recorded 667 instances of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF), including more than 70 fatalities, according to Sharafat Zaman, a spokesperson for the Taliban's health ministry (which is subject to UN sanctions).
Zaman said, "I think, since seven months, we have 667 cases all around the country, and unfortunately, we have lost above 70 persons in Afghanistan from CCHF."
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The official noted that CCHF and other specialized facilities for the treatment of infectious diseases are located in Kabul and the country's various districts. CCHF is a serious zoonotic viral illness that can cause bleeding, acute intoxication, and fever.
In Crimea, the first instance was discovered in 1944. Typically, the latent stage lasts for two to seven days.
According to the World Health Organization, the disease has a 40% death rate.
