Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever claims one person
A 37 year old man from Keetmanshoop District, succumbed to the Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) on Tuesday in Windhoek, according to a statement from the Ministry of Health and Social Services.
The Health Ministry on Wednesday confirmed the death after the patient who had been transferred to Windhoek Central Hospital Isolation unit on the 30 March tested positive for CCHF.
The Minister of Health and Social Services Dr. Bernard Haufiku said that in efforts to control the disease, the ministry has deployed a surveillance team in Keetmanshoop and are busy tracing contacts and a Rapid Response team has been dispatched to Keetmanhoop District as well as officials from the Veterinary Department of the Ministry of Agriculture.
The Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever is spread through various methods which include tick bites, or handling ticks with bare hands, direct contact with infected animal blood and organs, including slaughter of animals with ticks attached as well as handling contaminated linen, bedding and direct physical contact with body fluids or blood of a person suffering/died from CCHF.
The ministry has since issued a warning to the public have been in contact with a person who has similar symptoms like sudden on-set of high fever, headache, Back/joint pain, dizziness, neck pain and stiffness as well as bleeding, bruising, or a rash or animals infested with ticks, or has had a tick bite to report to the nearest health facility.
Haufiku said that it should be noted that one confirmed case of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever constitutes an outbreak, according to World Health Organization guidelines.
