Congo virus updates: 23 suspected carriers reported at HMC in 2015

At least 17 dengue patients registered since

PESHAWAR: At least 23 patients were suspected to have the Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever, commonly known as Congo virus, at Hayatabad Medical Complex between January and October.

An HMC official told The Express Tribune on Wednesday, 18 of these patients are from Afghanistan and arrived in the country between January 1 and October 6. The remaining patients belong to various parts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

“Three belong to Swabi, Kohat and Dir, respectively, while two others hail from Peshawar,” he said. “At least 11 of these patients died.”

Earlier this week, Habib, one of the Afghan nationals who died at the facility, was admitted at HMC with high fever. He was shifted to the isolation ward and his blood samples were sent to the laboratory for testing. Habib died on Tuesday; the hospital has yet to receive his results.

Outbreak

Officials at the facility said 17 suspected dengue cases have also been reported at HMC between January 1 and October 6.

Around 16 patients were discharged after laboratory tests proved the patients were not carrying the virus, they added. Only one patient is still at the isolation ward and the hospital staff is still waiting for his blood reports.

Over 800 suspected dengue cases have surfaced at various health facilities across the province. However, none of them have tested positive for the virus so far.

Down with the virus

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa health department has decided to conduct a polio drive after samples of sewage water collected from Larama tested positive for the virus.

Officials privy to the development told The Express Tribune the campaign will be carried out in Peshawar district, Frontier Region (FR) Peshawar and Khyber Agency. They added another drive will be conducted shortly after Muharram while a third one will be conducted in November. Preparations are being made for the
upcoming drives.

“Sewage samples were obtained after two cases were reported from the area,” an official told The Express Tribune, requesting anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to the media. “We found the sewage water carried the wild poliovirus even though the area remained free of the virus for over five months. Laboratory tests at the National Institute of Health have confirmed this.”

Published in The Express Tribune, October 8^th, 2015.