RAWALPINDI: A woman suspected of suffering from Congo virus was admitted to the Holy Family Hospital (HFH) on Tuesday.

The Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) patient was brought from Kallar Kahar in Chakwal with symptoms making the doctors suspect she is suffering from the virus.

“The patient’s condition is improving fast,” said Dr Javed Hayyat, the doctor in charge of the infectious diseases ward at HFH.

The doctor said that samples have been sent to the National Institute of Health (NIH) for confirmation of Congo fever and a report will arrive in a day or two. He said that the HFH has taken precautionary measures, in accordance with the protocol issued by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to prevent the disease from spreading.

The first case of CCHF was reported in Rawalpindi in 1976 and a Dr Mateen also died while treating a Congo vVirus patient at the Central General Hospital, now called the Benazir Bhutto Hospital. In 2002, a 25-year-old intern physician Dr Farzana at the Holy Family Hospital also died while treating a patient.

In September 2010, eight staff members at the HFH including four women, contracted the disease but fortunately survived.

Meanwhile, a dengue patient also arrived at the HFH from Karachi. The 25-year-old man is a native of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and works in Karachi. He was travelling home from Karachi when he started showing dengue fever symptoms and was brought to HFH.

“The patient arrived from Karachi and after conducting dengue serology, he was admitted to the hospital. However, the condition of the patient is under control,” said Dr Tahir Sharif, incharge of the dengue ward.

He said the hospital has not received any local dengue virus patients so far.

Published in Dawn, July 1st, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play