Congo virus claims another life in Islamabad
- September 14, 2013, 2:46 pm
- National News
- 165 Views
ISLAMABAD, Sept 14 (INP): Another person of the same family on Saturday died of Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS).
According to PIMS sources, four patients including Muhammad Yousaf, 60, and sons Arif Khan, 28, and Shiraz Ahmad, 21, were shifted to the hospital on September 11 (Wednesday) in critical condition, Father and his one son have already lost their life to CCHF. While, another son Arif is being treated at PIMS hospital and said to be in critical condition.
Congo fever is a tick-borne viral disease which is mainly transferred to humans from domestic animals. Its symptoms include fever, bloody urine and nose bleeds.
According to doctors, all four patients belonged to a family of butchers and were residing in Abbottabad.
Due to their profession, they were in close contact with the animals which resulted in the spread of the disease, doctors said.
The first death in Pakistan due to the fever was reported in 1976 in Rawalpindi when Dr Mateen died while treating a patient at the Central General Hospital (now Benazir Bhutto Hospital).
A 25-year-old intern physician, Dr Farzana, also died at the Holy Family Hospital in 2002 while treating a Congo fever patient. A female patient was last tested positive in February 2013.
She was treated at PIMS and was later discharged after fully recovering from the disease.
