Suspected Congo virus patient dies in Quetta

Blood samples of another patient sent to Karachi

QUETTA: A man admitted to Quetta’s Fatima Jinnah Hospital on suspicion of having contracted the Congo virus died on Tuesday, while the blood samples of another patient suspected to have the disease have been sent to Karachi.

According to details, 19-year-old Abdul Salam, a resident of Satellite Town in the provincial capital, was admitted to the hospital while suffering from severe fever and bleeding. His blood samples had been sent to Karachi, but he died before the arrival of the report.

Meanwhile, a female patient was also brought to the hospital with concerns whether she had contracted the disease also known as the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF). While her blood samples have also been sent to Karachi, doctors believe her symptoms are not caused by the virus.

In the last four months, 28 patients were admitted to the hospital on suspicion of having contracted the virus. Of those, 13 had been infected by the virus, according to the in-charge of the Congo ward at the hospital.

“So far, there have been three deaths due to the virus in Quetta,” Dr Sadiq added.

In recent years, cases of Congo virus have surfaced in Balochistan on the occasion of Eidul Azha, with most of the people infected by the virus connected to livestock business.

CCHF is a widespread disease caused by a tick-borne virus and spreads to humans either by tick-bites or through contact with an infected animal.

The provincial government has said that measures were taken on the occasion of Eid, including spray-in the animal market, to stop the Congo virus from affecting people.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 21^st, 2019.