Ahead of Eid al-Adha, health officials in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have issued an advisory to the province to prevent the spread of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever.
Hospitals throughout the region in Peshawar have been put on high alert and given directives to follow stringent precautionary measures.
According to the advisory, the Congo virus is a very contagious and dangerous illness, the risks of spreading it may rise due to increased livestock movement during the Eid.
All the District HMOs and hospitals have been instructed to make sure that preventive measures are implemented in full.
District hospitals and Medical Teaching Institutions have also been compelled to be very strict to the guidelines that are provided by the health department.
Hospitals have been instructed to immediately transmit samples of suspected patients to public health laboratories as well as fill case investigation forms.
Medical professionals have also been encouraged to be alert and ensure that they detect potential cases as early as possible and observe all the infection control protocols when attending to patients.
The advisory renders the use of personal protective equipment, such as gloves, masks, and gowns, among medical personnel, necessary when handling suspected cases.
The governments have also mandated that samples of the blood should be produced in triple packaging and in the process the cold chain should be maintained to prevent contamination.
Health officials have also emphasised the control of ticks in the livestock markets and animal farms, trying to curb the spread of the virus.
Diagnosis has been authorised through the use of PCR and ELISA tests and hospitals have been advised to keep in touch with the virology department at the National Institute of Health to receive more guidance.
