Medical authorities in Pakistan and Iran have reported outbreaks of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever have occurred in both countries. In one of the largest outbreaks ever, 75 refugees in Pakistan have been diagnosed as being infected by the virus, which is transmitted by ticks, causes its victims to bleed profusely from bodily openings, and has a mortality rate of over 50 percent. At least eight of those infected have already died. Cases have also been discovered in Iran, which is moving quickly to establish both special hospitals as well as mobile quarantine stations.

Although small outbreaks of Crimean-Congo fever have occurred from time to time in Afghanistan, it is known that the virus was one of the strains that the former Soviet Union kept in its inventory of biological weapons. Rumors persist that Osama bin Laden acquired biological weapons agents from Kazakh arms dealers.

Given the scale of the outbreaks, there is apprehension about whether this is an unfortunate pandemic brought about by the disorganized condition of Afghanistan and disruption of even the most elementary health services, or the actual appearance of biological weapons in the Afghan War.

-- William Stonehill

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