12 May 2004	Wednesday	21 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1425

QUETTA, May 11: Four members of a family have died after contracting Congo virus, doctors confirmed here on Tuesday. "Three members of the family died in Qila Saifullah while another member of the family - a boy - breathed his last in the Chest Hospital in Quetta. All of them suffered from Congo-Crimean haemorrhagic fever," hospital's medical superintendent Dr Tariq Khosa said.

He said that Omar Khan and his wife had died the other day in Qila Saifullah while their son was brought to Quetta on Monday evening in a serious condition, adding that he was bleeding from mouth and nose.

It was also reported that the daughter of Omar Khan had also died by late Tuesday evening in Qila Saifullah. Omar Khan was running a butcher's shop in Qila Saifullah.

Another man, Haji Amir Mohammad, who was said to be suffering from the same disease, was also brought to the hospital from the Muslim Bagh area, sources said. "The boy had all the symptoms of Congo virus," Dr Khosa said, adding that the boy's blood sample had been sent to the National Institute of Heath in Islamabad for verification.

"There are no facilities in Pakistan to screen blood for Congo virus," he said, adding that blood samples of the other three victims would be sent to Johannesburg, South Africa, in this regard.

Director-General Health, Balochistan, Dr Pir Mohammad Khawaja Khel confirmed the Congo virus deaths and said a team of doctors had been dispatched to Kila Saifullah and Muslim Bagh areas to investigate.

Representatives of the World Heath Organization were accompanying the health department team, he added. Over 200 cases of Congo virus had been detected in the Loralai district between 2002 and 2004 out of which 38 persons had died because of this fatal disease.