Occupational hazard: Congo haemorrhagic fever claims life of HMC staffer

A peon contracted the virus from a patient; a nurse also suspected to be infected.

PESHAWAR:

An employee of the Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC) died after contracting Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever from an Afghan patient, while a nurse is also suspected of suffering from the disease.

Requesting anonymity, an official of the HMC told The Express Tribune a female patient from Afghanistan admitted to the hospital two weeks ago was diagnosed with Congo fever and subsequently died.

Infection hazard

He added that when the Afghan patient was admitted, doctors and nurses were unable to pass a cannula to her in order to administer medicine. “Ahmad Jamil, a peon, managed to do so but unfortunately contracted the virus,” said the official.

He added that within a week, the 45-year-old peon’s health deteriorated. He was admitted to the hospital and his blood samples tested positive for the Congo virus. Two days after the diagnosis, Jamil died.



“There are no specific wards or specialised doctors in the hospital for Congo virus patients,” said the official. He added the administration has set aside private rooms to keep Congo fever patients in isolation.

Nurse Riffat Bibi, 30, was on-duty in the isolation room and also fell ill, said the HMC staffer, adding her blood sample has been sent to National Institute of Health (NIH) Islamabad and the result is awaited.

HMC Spokesperson on Infectious Diseases, Dr Wali Rehman, confirmed the two deaths and one suspected case of Congo virus. He said the HMC staffers contracted the virus from the now deceased Afghan patient.

“Jamil had high fever and was bleeding from the nose. His blood sample was sent to NIH and the result indicated he had contracted the Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever, commonly known as Congo virus or Congo fever,” said Rehman.

Jamil died after a couple of days and the blood test result of Riffat Bibi is awaited, added Rehman.

Lack of facilities

According to Rehman, Congo virus commonly spreads among animals through ticks. “Humans can catch the disease either from tick bites or by coming in close contact with infected blood, body secretions and fluids,” he said.

Rehman added there was no isolation ward in the hospital but the patient suspected of carrying the virus is being kept in a separate room.

“There are no specialist doctors either, therefore the available doctors are treating Bibi and adopting precautionary measures,” added Rehman.

In 2013, six patients who tested positive for Congo virus were admitted to HMC. Two were from Afghanistan, two from Khyber Agency and one each from Waziristan and Wazir Bagh, Peshawar, said the spokesperson.

He added this year, seven Congo virus patients have so far been brought to HMC out of which five belong to Afghanistan and the remaining two are from K-P.

“At present, no hospitals in K-P have relevant medicines available to treat the virus and thus patients are shifted to Karachi or Islamabad,” said Rehman.

We have raised the issue with the health department and they are taking steps to create awareness among the people, he added.

HMC Chief Executive Dr Mumtaz Marwat claimed the hospital has set aside five private rooms to keep patients suffering from highly contagious diseases in isolation. “Strict safety measures are being adopted by those treating the patient,” added Marwat.

The chief executive added Rs25,000 in compensation had been given to the family of the deceased peon and his daughter has been appointed to the same post.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 7^th, 2014.