RAWALPINDI: A patient presenting with symptoms of dengue fever was diagnosed with the Congo Crimean Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) which has put the health department on alert.

A resident of Choa Syedan Shah Chakwal, Ulfat Khan was brought to the Holy Family Hospital (HFH) four days ago complaining of fever and bleeding from the nose. Doctors initially thought the patient might have dengue.

Samples of his blood were sent to the National Institute of Health (NIH) to be tested, which diagnosed him with CCHF, according to HFH Medical Superintendent Dr Raja Shafique.

“NIH has only confirmed this verbally and a written report from them will be received on Monday,” he told Dawn.

He said the patient was moved to an isolated room in order to avoid the disease from spreading and that attendants of the patient and medical staff were also being closely monitored.

Mr Shafique said the patient is stable and is being administered treatment. Preventative measures have been taken so that medical staff does not contract the illness.

Doctors and other medical staff have been provided with thick rubber gloves and plastic suits which they have been told to wear before entering the patient’s room, he added.

The Punjab Health Department and the Chakwal executive district officer have been informed of the diagnosis so that teams from the health department can visit the area and take measures for avoiding the disease from spreading, Mr Shafique said.

Health departments put on high alert, Pims prepares for expected cases

Meanwhile, the management of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) has called a meeting for Monday in order to make arrangements for expected CCHF patients.

Pims Media Coordinator Dr Waseem Khawaja told Dawn that with a patient coming in to a hospital in Rawalpindi, CCFH patients can also be expected to be brought into Pims.

“An isolation ward has been established and a five day training workshop will be held in which five nurses will be taught how to deal with CCFH patients,” he said.

Dr Khawaja said that a board headed by Pims Vice Chancellor Javed Akram has been established in order to help with giving patients the best treatment and ensuring that hospital staff is not at risk of contracting the disease.

The Ministry of National Health Services (NHS) has also put NIH on high alert and has cancelled the vacations of those employees who deal with CCHF samples, reports of which have also emerged from Bahawalpur.

This is the second case of Congo fever at HFH this year. Before this, 53-year-old Mohammad Sarfaraz from Talagang had come to the hospital on March 15 and was diagnosed with the fever. He was discharged from the hospital after receiving treatment.

The first case of Congo fever in Pakistan was also reported from Rawalpindi in 1976 and Dr Mateen had died while treating the CCFH patient at Central General Hospital which has now been renamed Benazir Bhutto Hospital.

A 25-year-old internee physician, Dr Farzana also died while treating a patient for the same disease in 2002 at HFH while some doctors and medical staff contracted the illness in 2011 at the same hospital during treatment.

A senior official at the health department told Dawn that when a new case of the Congo fever is diagnosed, the health department starts monitoring members of the patient’s family and their neighbours. He said that in 2013, two members of a patient’s family had contracted the illness as well.

The disease is common in animals and spreads to humans via ticks, he explained and can also spread from person to person.

The infected person experiences bleeding and the treatment also involved the administration of Ribavirin. The symptoms of the disease are high fever, muscle pain, dizziness, abnormal sensitivity to light, abdominal pain and vomiting. Later on, mood swings may also occur with the patient becoming confused and aggressive.

Published in Dawn, August 1st, 2016