Parwan, Afghanistan – An alarming outbreak of an unidentified infectious disease in Afghanistan’s Parwan province has claimed at least two lives and infected more than 500 individuals over the past four days. Health authorities are scrambling to contain the situation, as the number of cases continues to rise in the province’s Kafshan region, located in the Shinwari district, approximately 80 km north of Kabul.
The spokesperson for the provincial governor, Hikmatullah Shamim, shared updates via his social media account on platform X (formerly known as Twitter), reporting that over 500 people have already been affected, with 50 of them in critical condition. The symptoms include severe weakness, intense pain in the hands and feet, high fever, and severe diarrhea.
Medical teams have been dispatched to the region in an attempt to assess and manage the crisis. Patients in critical condition have been transferred to the Parwan provincial hospital and an infectious disease hospital in Kabul for further treatment. Local health officials are working to understand the cause of the outbreak, but as of now, no clear explanation has emerged.
The rapid spread of the illness has raised concerns about its potential to evolve into a larger public health crisis, given the proximity to the densely populated capital city. The situation remains under close watch, as health authorities collaborate to determine the source of the infection and effective methods of containment.
Further updates are awaited as health officials analyze the samples and work to identify the mysterious disease behind this outbreak.
The Afghanistan Ministry of Public Health has advised residents in the affected areas to exercise caution and seek medical attention if they experience any of the reported symptoms.