Two other suspected virus-carriers of same family are admitted at Pims. PHOTO: STANFORD
ISLAMABAD:
One out of the three suspected victims of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) virus died at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) on Thursday.
The three patients, Yousuf Khan and two of his sons Arif and Sheraz from Havelian, Abbottabad, were brought to Pims late Wednesday, while suffering from high-grade fever, headache and sore throat. Their blood samples were sent to the National Institute of Health.
The hospital staff shifted Yousuf and Arif to the intensive care unit, while the third patient, Sheraz could not survive.
A senior doctor at Pims, requesting anonymity, said that although the three cases have not been confirmed for Congo fever, the situation is worrisome as Eidul Azha is approaching. In February, two patients brought to Pims were infected with Congo virus. “Rabia was a resident of Islamabad while the second one came from Saudi Arabia,” he said.
Talking to The Express Tribune, the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Disease Early Warning System (DEWS) Senior Surveillance Officer Dr Musa Rahim expressed concern over the suspected cases at Pims. “A WHO team along with the district health officer have started field investigations into the cases and will work on prevention to curb its spread,” he said.
National Assembly Deputy Speaker Murtaza Javed Abbasi has requested the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa chief minister to take action against the medical staff at Abbottabad’s Ayub Medical Complex for negligence due to which a life was lost.
According to the WHO DEWS from January 2013 to date, 52 suspected cases of CCHF have been reported from across the country, of this 35 have been confirmed and 10 have died of the virus. However, in 2012, a total of 62 suspected cases were reported across the country out of which, 41 cases were confirmed while a total of 18 deaths were reported.
Cause - By tick, which is external parasite found on the skin of cattle.
Spread - spreads from an infected person to another person through his blood drop or secretion/ infected animal to another
Season - Any time during the year
Symptom - Has an aggressive course then dengue as there is more bleeding in urine and stool, more drowsiness, and coma.
Treatment - Doctor asks for his history
of blood exposure. Anti-viral drugs are given. Congo patient requires a lot of time to recover and his life is always on risk. High mortality rate
Major Difference - I In Congo fever the cognitive factor in the blood of the patient gets affected and requires plasma to be injected
Precautionary measure - Patient need to be kept away from other people
Published in The Express Tribune, September 13th, 2013.
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