The Sindh health department reported the first death of the year from the Congo fever as a patient in Karachi passed away after being diagnosed a day earlier.

The 42-year-old man, who was a resident of Karachi’s Malir area, tested positive for the Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) on June 16 and passed away a day later, a statement from the provincial health ministry’s media coordinator said on Wednesday.

Health officials confirmed that the patient’s test report came back positive on June 16. He succumbed to the illness on June 17.

This is the first officially reported case of CCHF in the province in 2025. The health department is monitoring the situation and has advised the public to take precautions, particularly while handling livestock.

What is Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever or Congo Virus

Congo virus is a tick-borne viral disease which is mainly transmitted to humans from animals.

It spreads through ticks, an insect which makes holes in the skin of animals to suck the blood. When it enters the body of any species releases germs which become the reason for the virus.

Most of the time, this virus enters the human body through animals, but ticks can bite humans as well, which might be the cause of the disease.

Experts say bleeding from the nose, mouth, and other body parts are prominent symptoms of the Congo virus. It also causes platelets to drop.

An affected person experiences high fever and feels pain in the backbone, shoulders and neck.

Red spots begin to emerge on the body of the patient, and it also weakens the immune system.

Experts believe that the ticks can be killed through the anti-infection spray. Those who work with cattle or in other places linked to animals should spray their places of work.

People must wear gloves during slaughtering and washing animal meat, as it is a transmissible virus.