KARACHI: A Congo fever patient, who was recently admitted to the Indus Hospital, has been discharged, the health department stated on Thursday.

It was the first local case of the tick-borne illness reported in the city in recent days.

According to officials, a 42-year-old man had reported at the hospital with symptoms of Congo fever a few days ago. He was a resident of District East, Karachi.

“His PCR (Polymerase chain reaction) test had come positive. His condition was stable and he was discharged within two days,” health department spokesperson Shabbir Ali Babar said, adding that since January, this was the fourth case of Congo fever in Karachi.

So far, three patients have died of the illness in Karachi including a doctor who was brought dead at the Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) last Sunday.

Currently, 16 patients, most of them healthcare providers who tested positive for the tick-borne disease, are under treatment at the AKUH.

Published in Dawn, November 10th, 2023