Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever claims life in Oman's Dhofar region

Oman Sunday 05/June/2016 22:40 PM
By: Times News Service
Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever claims life in Oman's Dhofar region

Muscat: The Ministry of Health (MOH) announced the eighth case of Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) in Oman this year. The case was recorded in Dhofar after a citizen died.
Recently, quarantine imposed on seven farms in Ibra was lifted after it was confirmed that livestock are now free of the Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF).
In May, a number of livestock farms were shut down in South Al Sharqiyah to limit the spread of CCHF after an Asian expatriate died after he contracted CCHF in the Wilayat of Ibra.
CCHF is a disease caused by a tick-borne virus. The virus is transmitted to people, either through tick bites or contact with infected animals. This disease is endemic to the Sultanate, with the first case reported in 1995.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) in Oman said there was an urgent need for formulating a comprehensive prevention and control strategy to combat Congo fever in the region, in view of the increasing incidents.
The Ministry of Health works together with the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries to monitor CCHF, as well as in providing the public with educational brochures about the disease.