Patient confirmed positive for CCHF at HFH

Rawalpindi: A 38-year old male patient who is undergoing treatment at Holy Family Hospital has been confirmed positive for Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF), a deadly infection on Saturday.

According to details, Rashid Mumtaz, who is a tailor by profession and residing in Model Town in Wah Cantt, Taxila was admitted to Holy Family Hospital (HFH) on June 17, two days after the onset of symptoms of CCHF. At the time of admission to the HFH, Rashid’s clinical presentation included high-grade fever, body aches, bleeding from gums, and hematemesis, a very dangerous condition in which a person bleeds internally and vomits blood as a result.

It is important that incidences of CCHF are anticipated every year on or before Eidul Azha, at the time of mass handling of cattle as the CCHF is zoonotic, a disease that animals cause to humans. The CCHF is caused by Nairovirus of the Bunyaviridae family transmitted to humans by the bite of Hyalomma tick found on the skin of animals including cattle, goat and sheep or by direct contact with the blood of an infected animal or human.

District Surveillance Coordinator Communicable Diseases and In-charge District Disease Surveillance and Response Unit Dr. Waqar Ahmed informed ‘The News’ on Saturday that initial lab findings of the CCHF patient showed a White Blood Cell count of 1910, platelet count of 4100 and Chest X-Ray infiltrates though he is currently in stable condition.

He added that the patient has been kept in isolation at the HFH in male intensive care unit as a laboratory confirmed CCHF case. Investigations reveal that Rashid was involved in the slaughter of four goats and two cows on Eidul Azha along with his cousin, Junaid.

Preliminary contact tracing has identified two symptomatic individuals, one Junaid Khan, a 19-year-old male from Mansehra, presented with fever and body pain who is currently in isolation at the HFH for further management and the other Ibrahim, a 14-year-old male from Wah Cantt, exhibiting fever and infection who is in isolation at Wah General Hospital, and his blood sample has already been dispatched to National Institute of Health, Islamabad for testing.

Dr. Waqar added the PCR in both the cases are being awaited. All necessary barrier nursing controls are meticulously implemented for these cases. Another 18 identified contacts are currently asymptomatic and are under quarantine for fever surveillance, he said.

He added that a joint case response was done with the livestock department for indoor residual spraying (IRS) and vector surveillance in the affected areas. Talking of CCHF cases in 2025 from Rawalpindi, he said a total of six screenings have so far been done including Rashid and his two close contacts. One patient tested positive from Attock expired this year while PCR result is being awaited in a case reported from AJK. The sixth suspect was tested negative, he said.