Rajkot farmer down with Congo fever, first case from district this year

This is first case of the dreaded CCHF this year in Rajkot. Last year also, CCHF case was reported from Jasdan taluka of the district. (Source: Google Maps)

A farmer from Shivrajpur village of Rajkot who was hospitalised on Friday has tested positive for Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) but is stable, health officers said on Wednesday. This is first case of the CCHF from the district this year. The farmer, identified as Nanji Zapadiya (45) was admitted to Rajkot civil hospital on Friday with complaints of high fever. He was admitted to swine flu ward of the hospital and his blood samples were sent to National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune on Friday itself.

“We received the report of his blood samples from NIV on Tuesday and the tests have returned positive for CCHF. The man is stable and is undergoing treatment at the civil hospital,” said Dr Vijay Pathak, chief district health officer (CDHO) of Rajkot.

Dr Pathak said that Zapadiya was a resident of Shivrajpur village in Jasdan taluka of Rajkot. “He is a farmer and also dose cattle-breeding. He does not keep cattle at home but houses them on his agricultural farms. Our teams have scanned nine other members of his family and they have not shown any signs of disease,” the CDHO further said.

This is first case of the dreaded CCHF this year in Rajkot. Last year also, CCHF case was reported from Jasdan taluka of the district.