PESHAWAR: Health department has intensified efforts to scale up public awareness as two more persons died of Crimean Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF), making total number of mortalities from the ailment three in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The health adviser to chief minister, Ihtesham Ali, in a statement expressed deep sorrow over the loss of precious lives due to Congo virus anddirected authorities concerned to spray animals and create awareness among people to safeguard them from the disease. On Thursday, two more patients belonging to Peshawar and Karak breathed their last at Hayat abad Medical Complex where another patient is being treated for the infection.

Officials said that six more suspected patients were hospitalised and were being evaluated. `We have sent their samples to Public Health Reference Laboratory at Khyber Medical University, the result of which will be made available on Friday,` they said.

According to them, CCHF is usually transmitted by ticks and through contact with infected animal via blood. It has been occurring almost every year after Eidul Azha aspeople visit animal markets on this occasion.

`Most of the patients, who died of the disease and got infected, have history of coming into contact with animals, said officials. They said that they had already screened close contacts of a person, who died two days ago of the infection, and were in the process to reach close contacts of the newly-recorded deceased persons to screen them.

`Anyone presenting symptoms will be tested through PCR as part of the campaign to prevent the infection from spreading to population,` they said. The disease, they said, was extremely dangerous and infected person stood only 10 per cent chances of survival.

Officials said that health adviser had taken notice of thesituation as all deaths and infection happened due to lack of precautionary measures during Eidul Azha. They said that people should strictly adhere to the guidelines already issued by health department. Health department in collaboration with livestock department has also started spraying animals in the districts from where infections arebeingreported.

`It is very importance to take proper precautions while handling animals, the only source of infection to human,` they said.

They said that Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) system was actively monitoring the situation and teams were dispatched to the areas with animal population. Health department has been focusing on endemic areas through quick response.The district health officers (DHOs) of the affected areas have been informed and contact tracing and sanitisation activities have already been initiated at residences of deceased persons to prevent further transmission of the virus. So far, it has killed three people aged 22, 28 and 70. All were men.

Officials said that herds of animals being shifted from one area to another were being sprayed and cattle-handlers were informed about precautions to stay safe from the ailment.

`Also, concentration has been laid on butcher houses to ensure that people involved in slaughtering animals take protective measures while hospitals have been advised to isolate suspected cases and send their specimens for tests,` they said.