Four suspected Congo cases put into isolation

We cannot declare them infected until the test returns positive says Dr Aadam Khan

QUETTA:

Four people have been admitted to an isolation ward at Quetta’s Fatimah Jinnah Hospital, on suspicions of Congo virus.

“There are no confirmed cases of Congo virus in Quetta, but we have sent samples of three patients to Islamabad for testing,” Dr Adam Khan Nasir, in charge at the hospital’s isolation ward, told The Express Tribune.

The patients include a six-year-old Afghan national Izathullah, a medical technician Imran and a resident of Kuchlak. Another patient, Dr Ayaz Mandokhail, was suffering from high fever and shifted to Karachi.

“The three patients tested positive for malaria and were bleeding,” said Dr Nasir.

“They might be suffering from Congo virus but we can not confirm that until their test returns positive,” he said.

Sources said Dr Mandokhail was operating a Congo-affected patient at private hospital when he, and his technician Imran, possibly contracted the virus.

“We receive about 100 patients in Balochistan annually, but this year 30 cases, excluding the unconfirmed fresh ones, have been reported so far,” Dr Nasir said.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 17^th,  2011.