Congo virus killed another man in Karachi,12 more tested positive

After a young doctor from Quetta lost his life few days earlier at Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) , another patient Mir Waiz Khan (35 yrs) from Pishin lost his battle against the Crimean-Congo Haemo­rrhagic Fever (CCHF) commonly called Congo virus.

The AKUH confirmed that there are 12 patients tested positive for the disease in its hospital alone.While lab results of four (4) patients are awaited and the one recovered from the infection has been discharged.

Edhi welfare service trasported two patients from Quetta to Karachi through an air ambulance yesterday.Dr Hafeez Kakar of Young Doctors’ Associa­tion claimed that the Balochistan government hadn’t yet provided the air ambulance service, it was arranged by doctors on their own.

There are 275 individuals suspected of carrying the virus, 73 have been confirmed. The patients — comprising nine doctors, a nurse, a pathologist and a paramedic — were under treatment in Karachi’s Agha Khan Hospital.

Balochistan recorded 21 deaths due to congo virus last year and 20 mortalities this year so far.On Sunday, Dr Shukrullah Langove died on the way to Karachi when his ambulance was stopped at the Winder town checkpost due to waiting hours in the queue.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Coast Guards officials denied the ambulance being stopped. They claimed that traffic on the highway remained suspended for some time after a truck had overturned in the Winder area of Lasbela district.

The congo virus is transmitted to people either by tick bites or through contact with infected animal blood or tissues during and immediately after slaughter.

The majority of cases have occurred in people involved in the livestock industry, such as agricultural workers, slaughterhouse workers and veterinarians.Congo virus have a case fatality rate of up to 40%.