Staff Reporter
THE Minister of Health, Dr Esperance Luvindao, has announced that there was a confirmed case of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) in the Khomas Region.
“The ministry extends its deepest condolences to the family of the patient who was admitted to health facility in Windhoek on 18 November 2025 with suspected CCHF and unfortunately demised on 19 November 2025. Laboratory results have since confirmed the presence of the CCHF virus,” the minister revealed.
Luvindao explained that, in accordance with the established protocols of the Ministry of Health and the standards set by the World Health Organization (WHO), one laboratory-confirmed case of CCHF is considered an outbreak. This, she noted, necessitates immediate public health action to prevent further transmission.
“The Ministry wishes to assure the public that it is taking all the necessary measures to contain the spread of the virus and urges the community not to panic. We have initiated thorough contact tracing, surveillance, and public health interventions to protect the Namibian people,” the minister assured.
Luvindao further explained that CCHF is a severe viral haemorrhagic fever caused by the CCHF virus, a member of the Nairoviridae family of RNA viruses.
“It is endemic in Africa, among other regions. Importantly, there is currently no vaccine available for either people or animals. In documented outbreaks of CCHF, fatality rates in hospitalised patients have ranged from 9% to as high as 50%. Namibia experienced CCHF outbreaks from 2016 to 2023 with seven confirmed cases and four deaths (57% case fatality rate),” the minister said.
Luvindao highlighted that the virus is transmitted through tick bites, contact with infected animals, and human-to-human transmission. She explained that symptoms typically appear suddenly and may include fever, muscle aches, dizziness, neck pain and stiffness, headache, sore eyes, sensitivity to light, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, and abdominal pain.
The minister urged the public to be vigilant in preventing the spread of the virus. She encouraged people to reduce the risk of tick-to-human transmission by wearing protective clothing, regularly checking for ticks, controlling ticks on animals, and avoiding high-risk areas known for high tick populations.
She also advised the public to reduce the risk of animal-to-human transmission by handling animals safely, such as wearing gloves when slaughtering them, and treating animals with pesticides.
Luvindao also urged the public to reduce human-to-human transmission by avoiding close contact with individuals suspected or confirmed to have the virus, practising good hygiene, and using protective equipment.
Picture for illustrative purposes only. Photo: Contributed
