Written By: Satata Karmakar | Updated : June 2, 2022 12:50 PM IST
Nose-Bleed Fever Virus: Is India Ready To Tackle Another Virus Attack? ICMR Answers
From COVID-19 to Monkeypox, as the world faces several virus outbreaks, another cause of concern has arrived in India. A virus that can bleed you to death is spreading rapidly in Iraq. Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF), also known as the nose-bleed fever has been reported in around 120 people in Iraq since January this year. Caused by a tick-borne virus, this infection can lead to unusual bleeding both internally and externally from your nostrils.
Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever is a viral haemorrhagic fever which is usually transmitted by ticks. However, the infection can also be contracted when an individual comes in contact with viraemic animal tissues (animal tissue where the virus has entered the bloodstream) during and immediately post-slaughter of animals.
What is concerning is that the virus can cause bleeding, both internal and external. "The onset of illness causes rapid and severe internal and external bleeding in infected patients, including through the nose," WHO wrote in its statement.
Explaining why India should worry about the current virus outbreak in Iraq, Dr Samiran Panda, additional Director-General, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has said that it is important for the country to be extra cautious at the moment, since, India has been considered a hotspot for many emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. Talking about how prepared the country is, he said, the Government is fully prepared to handle any possible virus outbreak. He added that the Pune- based Indian Council of Medical Research and the National Institute of Virology (ICMR-NIV) have also started doing extensive research and surveillance on humans, animals and ticks to understand the disease burden and transmission dynamics.
The nose-bleed fever is caused by a zoonotic virus, which, according to the experts can lead to high mortality rates. Speaking about the high transmission rate of the virus, the senior ICMR scientists said that in past few years, the laboratory screening of the rare fever disease for humans, animals and ticks is under way. As of now, the country's scientists have a clear idea about the virus' behaviour and the way it can be tackled.
(With inputs from agencies)
