Cattle market exposed to Congo virus threat

An imminent threat of Congo virus looms large due to unchecked arrival of sacrificial animals in the city ahead of Eid-ul-Azha. The government has not yet placed its veterinary officials to check the environment at the cattle market of the city and examine the animals whether they are medically fit for human consumption.
"The congo virus is fatal to human life and flocks of animals are bring brought into the city without a veterinary certification that put the city's 20 million population to the wider health risk," a source at the makeshift cattle market told the Business Recorder on Tuesday.
Insiders disclosed that veterinary department of Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) were turning a deaf ear to the orders of Governor Sindh by not deploying veterinary doctors at Sohrab Goth Maweshi Mandi to check whether the animals are vaccinated or not.
Governor Sindh Dr Ishrat-ul-Ebad while presiding over a meeting to review arrangements for Cattle market last week ordered the veterinary department to deploy a team of doctors at the cattle market super highway to check if the animals are disease-free and ensure regular daily spray and vaccination of animals to control the threat of Congo virus and other diseases.
He also directed the department to increase the number of veterinary doctors and paramedics deployed at the cattle market and asked Commissioner Karachi to supplement their efforts by taking concrete measures in this regard. But no government doctor from the livestock department or the KMC has so far arrived there to check the sacrificial animals which is a big concern given the possible outbreak of Congo Virus.
"This is a serious concern for the visitors and those buying animals. The veterinary department must not ignore this important duty to prevent people suffer from Congo virus," a source said.
He said that the Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) virus is primarily transmitted to people from ticks and livestock animals and causes severe viral haemorrhagic fever outbreaks which according to World Health Organisation (WHO) have a fatality rate up to 40 percent.
An official expressed surprise and dismay saying it was strange the provincial department was not paying heed to the orders of the governor Sindh at the time when cases of the CCHF had been reported in the province. He said Governor Sindh should take notice and instruct the Livestock department to set up camps at entry points of the city and the cattle market to ensure that the deadly disease should not spread in the city.