Livestock yards shut down in Oman to avoid Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever outbreak

Muscat: Officials in Sur municipality have shut down 14 livestock yards to avoid Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF).
“We have shut down 14 livestock yards to avoid Congo fever outbreak. It’s part of prevention measures. We have collected samples and have sent it laboratories,” a top official from the Sur municipality told Times of Oman.
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The official added that majority of the livestock have arrived from Somalia.
Two Congo fever deaths have been reported in the past one month in Oman, according to the ministry of health.
The CCHF is a widespread disease caused by a tick-borne virus.The virus is transmitted to people either by tick bites or through contact with infected animals. This disease is endemic in the Sultanate where first case was reported in 1995.
Since early 2016 till the end of April, the Sultanate has recorded six cases, in which three cases were dead.
The MOH works together with the Ministry of Agriculture and Fishers to monitor the CCHF,as well as the Ministry of Health provides the required awareness brochures.
Since there is no effective vaccine available for humans and animals, the only way to reduce the infection among people is to raise the awareness of risk factors and educating people of preventive measures through reducing the risk of tick-to-human transmission by; wearing protective clothing (long sleeves, long trousers) while handling with animals, do not touch, remove or crush the ticks by hand, using approved acaricides (chemicals intended to kill ticks) andavoid areas where ticks are abundant.
Reducing the risk of animal-to-human transmission can be made by wearing gloves and other protective clothing while handling with animals or their tissues, notably during slaughtering and informing the concerned authorities in case of there are ticks in the animals and cooperate with them on precautionary measures.