Two more test positive for Congo virus,kept under isolation

Dave said their test reports were received today and the condition of the infected duo was stable. They are undergoing treatment under isolation at government hospitals,he said.

Yesterday,58 samples (from humans),collected from Kolat village,had tested negative for CCHF,he said.

“We have sent 132 more samples to the National Institute of Virology (NIV). Their results are awaited,” Dave added.

Amina Momin of Kolat village in Sanand taluka,about 35 kms from here,was the first CCHF casualty. The doctor and nurse of a private hospital who treated her also contracted the virus and died after a week when the disease surfaced in India.

Meanwhile,the six member team from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC),which had arrived in the city yesterday,has began consultations with state officials to plan the next course of action and steps needed to be taken to prevent the spread of CCHF.

According to health officials,a state team of doctors and veterinarians are still surveying the nearby villages of Kolat from where the first case of CCHF was recorded.

Animal Husbandry department officials said that most of the animals in Kolat and nearby areas have been treated with disinfectants to kill the ticks.

The CCHF infection is primarily found in animals which is caused by tick-based virus. It may infect a wide range of domestic and wild animals.

Humans who become infected with CCHF acquire the virus from direct contact with blood or other infected tissues from livestock. They can get it from a tick bite also.