Muscat: Three people have died and six other treated for Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) in Oman since the beginning of 2017, the Ministry of Health said. The fever claimed seven lives in the country last year, according to the Ministry of Health.
In 2016, a number of livestock farms were shut down in the North and South Sharqiyah governorates of Oman, to limit the spread of CCHF.
Oman’s Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries has taken measures to limit the spread of the virus in farms. According to ministry’s new measures only Omani nationals can import livestock for slaughtering purposes. Import of livestock for breeding purposes have been prohibited.
Authorities told Gulf News they are monitoring and educating people on how to prevent the spread of the virus. Farmers have been advised to wear gloves and protective clothing while handling livestock.
People are also advised to avoid contact with blood or bodily fluids of livestocks or humans who show symptoms of the virus.
The first case of CCHF had been reported in Oman in 1996. Those diagnosed with the virus have a 37.5 per cent chance of dying and currently there is no vaccine available for the virus.
