The Minister of Health, Dr Esperance Luvindao, has confirmed a case of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) in the Khomas Region. The patient was admitted to a Windhoek health facility on 18 November 2025 with suspected CCHF and sadly passed away on 19 November 2025. Laboratory tests have confirmed the presence of the CCHF virus.
Dr Luvindao emphasized that according to Ministry protocols and World Health Organization (WHO) standards, a single laboratory-confirmed CCHF case constitutes an outbreak, requiring immediate public health action to halt further spread.
The ministry is taking all necessary measures, including thorough contact tracing and surveillance, to contain the virus and protect the public. The minister urged calm and reassured Namibians that public health interventions are underway.
She explained that CCHF is a severe viral haemorrhagic fever caused by a virus from the Nairoviridae family. It is endemic in parts of Africa and currently has no vaccine available for humans or animals. Previous Namibian outbreaks from 2016 to 2023 recorded seven confirmed cases with a 57% fatality rate.
The virus spreads through tick bites, contact with infected animals, and from person to person. Symptoms can suddenly appear and include fever, muscle aches, dizziness, neck stiffness, headache, sore eyes, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, and abdominal pain.
Dr Luvindao urged the public to take precautions against tick bites by wearing protective clothing, checking for ticks regularly, controlling ticks on animals, and avoiding areas with high tick populations. She also advised safe handling of animals, including wearing gloves when slaughtering, and the use of pesticides on animals.
To reduce human-to-human transmission, the minister recommended avoiding close contact with infected individuals, practising good hygiene, and using protective equipment.
