Third Congo fever patient admitted to JPMC

A teenage tested positive for the dreaded Congo Crimean Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF) in Karachi and admitted to an isolation ward at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) on Monday, health officials said.

“A young man of 18-19 years of age had been brought to the JPMC yesterday (Sunday) with a high grade fever, rashes, bleeding from nose and mouth and on suspicion we got him tested for CCHF. The lab report confirmed that he is infected with the dreaded Congo virus,” said Executive Director JPMC Dr Seemin Jamali while talking to The News.

The patient, Mubeen Ahmed, is a resident of Korangi Industrial Area and works at a tannery where labourers deal with hides of cattle, and sometimes they contract the viral disease which is spread through a tick found on the skin of cattle.

Dr Jamali said this was the third CCHF patient of the year who was brought to the JPMC in a critical condition, adding that the condition of two previous patients had improved and they were discharged from the hospital.

The CCHF is caused by the Congo virus, which is found on a tick that attaches itself to the skin of cattle. People who come into contact with these infected ticks or animals can contract the viral disease, which is highly contagious disease and has a 40-50 per cent mortality rate.

So far this year, two persons, including a resident of Lyari, Karachi, and a woman from Mianwali have died due to the Congo viral infection in Karachi and Islamabad respectively, health officials said.