ISLAMABAD: A man admitted to Pims with symptoms of the Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever tested positive on Saturday and was shifted to the isolation ward.

The staff of Pims and relatives of the patient were given antiviral medicines.

Pims Media Coordinator Dr Waseem Khawaja told Dawn that the patient was a resident of Kohat.

Replying to a question, Dr Khawaja said normally in such cases health departments immediately send teams to the patient’s area to check the spread of the disease.

CCHF is a tick-borne viral disease and symptoms include sudden onset of high fever, muscle pain, dizziness, abnormal sensitivity to light and abdominal pain and vomiting.

Later on, sharp mood swings may occur, and the patient may become confused and aggressive.

In 2016, as many as 33 people died of the Congo virus across the country. This year the National Institute of Health had received blood samples of 552 suspected patients out of whom 109 tested positive.

Published in Dawn, September 15th, 2019