A 17-year-old boy working at a livestock farm in Karachi has died after contracting the Congo virus, marking the first confirmed fatality of the disease this year. The patient was admitted with a high fever and later tested positive for Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF).
According to doctors on the ground and the World Health Organisation, the interval between the onset of symptoms and death has been 48 hours in the majority of cases
The WHO has declared mpox a global health emergency due to its rapid spread in Africa, particularly in Congo, where over 14,000 cases and 524 deaths have occurred. The virus's new strain may be more transmissible. WHO urges global action, with a focus on vaccines and resources to control the outbreak.
The Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) virus has claimed 17 lives in the southwestern province alone this year, according to the Secretary of the Health Department, Abdullah Khan.
