Congo Fever Virus Reported in Gujarat, India
- 13 years ago
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The Congo fever virus grips residents of India's Gujarat state. So far three people have died from the virus.
The Congo fever virus claimed the lives of three people in India's Gujarat state on Wednesday.
The first victim was a villager who was admitted to a hospital with high fever, abdominal pain and vomiting, and later died from the virus.
The doctor and nurse who treated the patient also caught the infection and died.
In the wake of the deaths, the state health department has gone on alert and a survey has been undertaken to find anyone else who could be infected.
[Jay Narayan Vyas, State Health Minister]:
"We have made an expert team where we have specialized doctors. The virus has been identified. We have kept in contact with National Institute of Virology and also National Institute of Communicable Diseases. We have asked them to get their teams here. We are in touch with the animal husbandry so as to take sample of pet animals and co-ordinate with the team and get into the details of the problem."
The relatives of the victim, who came in close contact with her, have been kept under observation by health department authorities.
An animal tick-borne virus reportedly causes the fatal Congo fever.
[Dr. J.N. Patel, Chief District Health Officer]:
"Symptoms are high-grade fever followed by severe vomiting, stomach-ache and diarrhea. Within a day or two, patient's blood count drops and internal hemorrhage begins. This is followed with damage of lungs and liver in the next couple of days."
Human beings could acquire the virus from direct contact with blood or other infected tissues from infected livestock or from a tick bite.
So far the infection has only been reported in Gujarat.
The Congo fever virus grips residents of India's Gujarat state. So far three people have died from the virus.
The Congo fever virus claimed the lives of three people in India's Gujarat state on Wednesday.
The first victim was a villager who was admitted to a hospital with high fever, abdominal pain and vomiting, and later died from the virus.
The doctor and nurse who treated the patient also caught the infection and died.
In the wake of the deaths, the state health department has gone on alert and a survey has been undertaken to find anyone else who could be infected.
[Jay Narayan Vyas, State Health Minister]:
"We have made an expert team where we have specialized doctors. The virus has been identified. We have kept in contact with National Institute of Virology and also National Institute of Communicable Diseases. We have asked them to get their teams here. We are in touch with the animal husbandry so as to take sample of pet animals and co-ordinate with the team and get into the details of the problem."
The relatives of the victim, who came in close contact with her, have been kept under observation by health department authorities.
An animal tick-borne virus reportedly causes the fatal Congo fever.
[Dr. J.N. Patel, Chief District Health Officer]:
"Symptoms are high-grade fever followed by severe vomiting, stomach-ache and diarrhea. Within a day or two, patient's blood count drops and internal hemorrhage begins. This is followed with damage of lungs and liver in the next couple of days."
Human beings could acquire the virus from direct contact with blood or other infected tissues from infected livestock or from a tick bite.
So far the infection has only been reported in Gujarat.