Tests confirm Abbottabad doctor died of Congo fever

ABBOTTABAD: The mysterious death of Dr Hasnain Shah, resident medical officer (RMO) at the Ayub Teaching Hospital, was attributed to Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF), hospital management said on Friday.
Medical Superintendent of the hospital Dr Iftikhar told The News that the laboratory reports from the National Institute of Health (NIH) had confirmed the death of Dr Hasnain due to the deadly Congo fever. The CCHF, also known as Congo fever, is a viral disease that occurs primarily in animals but humans are also susceptible to it.
The disease is indigenous to many African, European and Asian countries. Being a tick-borne disease, majority of the people who contract the virus are involved in the livestock industry.Dr Hasnain caught fever and died after spending a night in Bisham, Shangla district where he had gone to perform duty at the health facility established for flood affectees. He was treated at the ATH but could not survive.
Younger brother of Dr Hasnain has been showing the same symptoms for the last few days with intermittent temperature and low platelets. Sources said the ATH administration had no specialist of infectious diseases and had decided to refer the patient to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad.
After the confirmation of death of Dr Hasnain due to Congo Virus, the hospital administration sent the blood samples of his relatives and staff to the laboratories in Islamabad. It also decided to provide free medical treatment to all relatives of Dr Hasnain.
A special ward has been set up at the Dental Block where all patients suspected of having the disease will be kept in isolation.Another ICU unit will also be established in the hospital to provide medical treatment to dengue virus, bird flu and Congo virus patients.
It is worth mentioning here that there is no virologist or specialist of infectious disease in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Our correspondent adds from Mansehra: Executive District Officer (Health) Dr Javed Tanoli told reporters that four more patients suspected to be suffering from CCHF had been hospitalised.
District programme in-charge of United Nations Population Fund Dr Mohammad Ali was also present on the occasion. Dr Tanoli said the district health department was taking protective measures in Mansehra. He said the samples of four suspected CCHF patients admitted to the King Abdullah Teaching Hospital, Mansehra were also sent to NIH for tests and confirmation of the virus. Dr Tanoli said after the death of Dr Hasnain Shah the district health department was adopting the precautionary steps in accordance with the World Health Organisation guidelines.