Congo virus death toll in Pakistan rises to 6 as another man dies in Karachi

Health authorities in Karachi confirmed on Friday that a 28-year-old butcher has died from Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF), marking the sixth death from the virus in Pakistan in 2025.

All six fatalities this year have occurred in the southern Sindh province, with five reported in Karachi — the provincial capital and Pakistan’s largest city.

CCHF, commonly known as Congo virus, is a tick-borne disease that can also spread through contact with infected livestock or blood. It causes symptoms such as high fever, muscle pain, internal bleeding, and has a high mortality rate. There is currently no vaccine or specific treatment for the virus.

In the most recent case, the patient — identified only as Zubair by the Sindh health department — was admitted to Karachi’s Jinnah Hospital on September 24. He presented with fever, hematemesis (vomiting blood), melena (black stools), low blood pressure, and a rapid heartbeat. Suspected of having CCHF, he was placed in isolation but passed away the same day.

"A lab confirmed Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) on September 26, 2025," a statement from the Sindh health department said.

The department added that a surveillance team has since investigated the case, gathering information on the patient’s exposure history, contact tracing, and possible risk factors.

The first CCHF-related death in Pakistan this year was reported in June, with the most recent before this case occurring in August.

Pakistan has recorded sporadic outbreaks of the virus since its first reported case in 1976, particularly in rural areas and livestock-heavy regions such as Balochistan. The southwestern province reported 23 cases and five deaths last year alone.