CCHF in Afghanistan in 2024
From January 1, 2024 through the end of the year, a total of 1,221 suspected cases of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) with 95 associated deaths (CFR=7.8%) were reported in Afghanistan.
This compares with 1,236 suspected CCHF cases and 114 deaths in 2023.
A total of 844 samples of suspected CCHF cases have been tested, out of which 271 were positive (positivity rate 32.1%) from 14 provinces.
The positive cases were reported from 14 provinces Kabul (170), Herat (24), Balkh (23), Kunduz (20), Kapisa (11), Nangarhar (8), Takhar (3), Baghlan (3), Badakhshan (2), Jawzjan (2), Kandahar (2), Helmand (1), Paktika (1), and Logar (1).
The reported deaths were mostly over five years old (94, 98.9%), while 26 (27.4%) were females. Deaths were reported from 9 provinces Kabul (56), Balkh (19), Herat (5), Kunduz (4), Kapisa (4), Nangarhar (3), Baghlan (2), Badakhshan (1), and Kunar (1).
The Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) virus causes severe viral hemorrhagic fever outbreaks.
Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever 101
CCHF outbreaks have a case fatality rate of up to 40%.
The virus is primarily transmitted to people from ticks and livestock animals. Human-to-human transmission can occur resulting from close contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected persons.
CCHF is endemic in Africa, the Balkans, the Middle East and Asia, in countries south of the 50th parallel north.
There is no vaccine available for either people or animals.