After one case of the illness was reported to have been fatal in Windhoek, the government of Namibia on Tuesday declared a Crimean-Congo outbreak.
When the patient had his initial care on May 16 at a facility in the eastern city of Gobabis, the virus was thought to be present. Later, he was sent to Windhoek Central Hospital, where he passed away on May 18, according to a statement from the Health Ministry.
The presence of Crimean-Congo, a tick-borne virus that can also spread between people through close contact with blood or bodily fluids, was verified by laboratory tests. The World Health Organisation estimates that between 10% and 40% of people who contract it die.
According to the statement, the government is actively observing all contacts of the deceased in Gobabis and Windhoek and has created health emergency committees to stop future transmission.
It added that 27 contacts have been found thus far, 24 of them are medical professionals.
The symptoms of CCHF, which are endemic to Africa, the Balkans, the Middle East, and some Asian nations, include fever, muscle aches, disorientation, light sensitivity, vomiting, and internal bleeding. It was initially discovered in 1944 in the Crimea.
The breadth of recent outbreaks in Africa has been constrained. In April, Senegal reported one incidence of the illness.
The health ministry reported that there have been three fatalities associated with Namibia’s six CCHF outbreaks since 2016.