Congo patient discharged from Pims

Doctors worried about others who might be at risk.

ISLAMABAD:

A patient, with a confirmed case of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) in Islamabad, was discharged by the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) on Monday. However, doctors failed to find out how the patient got infected with the virus.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Dr Jamal Zafar, an associate professor of medicine at Pims who was treating the patient, said, “We tried our best to find out how the patient — who lives in Islamabad — was infected, but we couldn’t, and it is really worrisome for us.”

Rabia, 34, is a resident of Sector G-8 and works at a private company. She was brought to Pims last week with high-grade fever and severe bleeding from her nose and gums. She was admitted in an isolation room.



Dr Zafar said she had no recent history of travel or contact with any cattle carrying ticks — which are the primary carriers of the disease.

He said it was a cause of concern for doctors as well as other health departments, as determining the source of infection would help them take immediate measures to protect others who may be at risk.

World Health Organisation (WHO) Disease Early Warning System (DEWS) Senior Surveillance Officer Dr Musa Rahim said, “It is early to say anything about the first case. However the investigation is underway and findings will be shared soon.”

Last year, two CCHF cases were reported in Rawalpindi. One of them -- Imtiaz, 45 — lost his life to the illness. According to the WHO, over 40 confirmed CCHF cases were reported in Pakistan in 2012, leading to 14 fatalities.

Meanwhile, a patient with dengue fever was also discharged on Monday. The 26-year-old, Asif, who is originally from Islamabad but works in Saudi Arabia, tested positive for dengue fever on Saturday.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 5^th, 2013.