QUETTA / KARACHI: Health authorities were alerted on Sunday after two deaths from the Congo virus were reported in Karachi and Quetta.

The first victim was a 20-year-old pregnant Afghan woman, according to the health authorities. Gul Naz was brought from Kuchlak with symptoms of the virus and admitted to Quetta’s Fatima Jinnah Chest Hospital.

She was bleeding from mouth and nose and her blood samples were sent to a laboratory, which confirmed the disease.

She couldn’t survive and died Sunday morning, Dr Zubair Ahmed of the hospital told Dawn.

He confirmed that this was the third death from the virus in the last 10 days. “In the past four months, four people have died of Congo virus.” All patients had travelled to Afghanistan, he said.

One death in Karachi

The Sindh health department also confirmed the death of a 28-year-old man in Karachi. The deceased, Mohammad Adil of Liaquatabad, was a meat seller.

“Initially, he developed a headache and fever on April 30, which intensified two days later. He was taken to a private hospital where he remained under treatment for a day,” a health department official said. The victim later had episodes of nasal bleeding.

The patient was initially tested for dengue and malaria, but the results came negative, the official added.

“On May 4, the patient’s condition deteriorated and he was admitted to Ziauddin Hospital in North Nazimabad. He passed away a day later,” he said.

Published in Dawn, May 8th, 2023