Jamnagar, Gujarat (January 28, 2025): A 51-year-old man has died of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF), commonly called the Congo fever in Gujarat's Jamnagar. The man, identified as Mohanbhai, was a livestock keeper. He was admitted to a hospital on January 21 and died on January 27 while receiving treatment.
Doctors said this is the first death linked to the disease in the region in the past five years. Mohanbhai’s blood samples were sent to a lab in Pune, where the virus was confirmed. Dr. S.S. Chatterjee, additional dean of Jamnagar Medical College, stated that this is the first reported case in the city during this period.
Last year, more than 15 people died in Lakhpat taluka from an unidentified illness. Now, the death from Crimean-Congo fever has raised concern in the area.
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Following Mohanbhai’s death, the health department has initiated precautionary measures around his home. Authorities have advised his family to maintain cleanliness to prevent the spread of the disease. Health officials warned that symptoms of the disease include fever, muscle pain, headache, and dizziness. Other signs may appear two to four days after infection, including insomnia, depression, abdominal pain, and rashes on the mouth, throat, and skin.
According to the World Health Organization, the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus leads to severe viral hemorrhagic fever with a fatality rate of up to 40%. Currently, no vaccine is available for the virus. It mainly spreads through ticks and domestic animals. Human-to-human transmission can occur through close contact with the blood, bodily fluids, or organs of an infected person.