Sunday, September 27, 2009
Patient tests negative for Congo fever
* 65-year-old patient was brought to PIMS bleeding from nose, eyes and other parts of body
* NIH declares he is not a patient of Congo fever
By Mahtab Bashir
ISLAMABAD: A suspected Congo fever patient was admitted to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) on Saturday but after laboratory test it was confirmed that he had not contracted the virus, Dr Waseem Khawaja, the hospital?s spokesman, told Daily Times.
Dr Khawaja said Ghulam Hussain, 65, a resident of Haripur, was brought to hospital on Saturday with suspected symptoms of Congo fever.
?Hussain was brought here bleeding from his eyes, nose and other parts of body. Immediately, he was shifted to an isolation ward and samples of his blood dispatched to National Institute of Health (NIH). After laboratory test, the NIH confirmed that Hussain was not a patient of Congo virus,? Dr Khawaja said.
He said PIMS administration had already placed the hospital under emergency and established an isolation ward for treatment of swine flu and Congo virus patients.
He said Congo virus or viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHFs) refer to a group of illnesses that were caused by several distinct families of viruses. ?In general, the term ?viral hemorrhagic fever? is used to describe a severe multi-system syndrome. Characteristically, overall vascular system is damaged, and the body?s ability to regulate itself is impaired in this disease,? he said.
He said its symptoms often included marked fever, fatigue, dizziness, muscle aches, loss of strength, and exhaustion. ?Patients with severe cases of VHF often show signs of bleeding under the skin, in internal organs, or from body orifices like the mouth, eyes, or ears. They may bleed from many sites around the body but these patients rarely die because of blood loss,? Dr Khawaja said.
He said the patients received supportive therapy and there was no other treatment or established cure for VHF. ?Ribavirin, an anti-viral drug, has been effective in treating some individuals with Lassa fever or HFRS, but it is very expensive and not everyone in Pakistan can afford it,? he said.
Earlier on Friday, Fazal Dad, 58, a resident of Abottabad, was admitted to PIMS bleeding from his nose, eyes, and other parts of body. After laboratory test, he was confirmed a patient of Congo fever.http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default...-9-2009_pg11_6
Patient tests negative for Congo fever
* 65-year-old patient was brought to PIMS bleeding from nose, eyes and other parts of body
* NIH declares he is not a patient of Congo fever
By Mahtab Bashir
ISLAMABAD: A suspected Congo fever patient was admitted to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) on Saturday but after laboratory test it was confirmed that he had not contracted the virus, Dr Waseem Khawaja, the hospital?s spokesman, told Daily Times.
Dr Khawaja said Ghulam Hussain, 65, a resident of Haripur, was brought to hospital on Saturday with suspected symptoms of Congo fever.
?Hussain was brought here bleeding from his eyes, nose and other parts of body. Immediately, he was shifted to an isolation ward and samples of his blood dispatched to National Institute of Health (NIH). After laboratory test, the NIH confirmed that Hussain was not a patient of Congo virus,? Dr Khawaja said.
He said PIMS administration had already placed the hospital under emergency and established an isolation ward for treatment of swine flu and Congo virus patients.
He said Congo virus or viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHFs) refer to a group of illnesses that were caused by several distinct families of viruses. ?In general, the term ?viral hemorrhagic fever? is used to describe a severe multi-system syndrome. Characteristically, overall vascular system is damaged, and the body?s ability to regulate itself is impaired in this disease,? he said.
He said its symptoms often included marked fever, fatigue, dizziness, muscle aches, loss of strength, and exhaustion. ?Patients with severe cases of VHF often show signs of bleeding under the skin, in internal organs, or from body orifices like the mouth, eyes, or ears. They may bleed from many sites around the body but these patients rarely die because of blood loss,? Dr Khawaja said.
He said the patients received supportive therapy and there was no other treatment or established cure for VHF. ?Ribavirin, an anti-viral drug, has been effective in treating some individuals with Lassa fever or HFRS, but it is very expensive and not everyone in Pakistan can afford it,? he said.
Earlier on Friday, Fazal Dad, 58, a resident of Abottabad, was admitted to PIMS bleeding from his nose, eyes, and other parts of body. After laboratory test, he was confirmed a patient of Congo fever.http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default...-9-2009_pg11_6
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