Suspected patient of Dengue fever tested positive
Staff Report

ISLAMABAD—National Institute of Health, Islamabad, has tested suspected case of Dengue fever at Rawalpindi General Hospital, Syed Abid Husain, aged 26, as positive whereas the RGH has sent blood sample of another suspected case of Dengue fever to NIH for confirmation.
Abid who is an employee of Rawalpindi Medical College was admitted to RGH on October 31 and his blood sample was sent to NIH the same day for reconfirmation of his infection. He had already been tested positive for Dengue fever from a private set-up eleven days back but the RGH sent his blood sample to NIH because the NIH is a reference laboratory and Dengue fever is a notifying disease.
“The basic reason behind sending his blood sample to NIH was to inform high-ups of the current situation and enable them to take necessary preventive measures,” said RGH chief Dr Habib Ahmed Khan. Abid is the second patient who has been tested positive for Dengue fever at the RGH within past one week. Earlier, on October 27, a female suspect of the disease, Sumaira Ayaz, aged 28, was tested positive. Both the two patients belong to Rawalpindi and it proves the very existence of Aedes Aegypti in town. “It means if the proper measures for surveillance, prevention and control of Dengue fever are not taken in time, the town may witness outbreak of the disease,” said Director Emergency at RGH Dr Muhammad Mujeeb Khan while talking to ‘The News’ Saturday. Dengue infection (fever) is caused by the bite of a female mosquito namely ‘Aedes Aegypti’ and researches reveal that Aedes Aegypti is found mostly on surface of clean water. On Saturday, the NIH also conveyed the RGH administration that Attique Butt, aged 30 years, resident of Bhara Kahu, Islamabad, who has been undergoing treatment at RGH since October 27 is not infected with Dengue infection.
Health experts at RGH however have suspected a female patient, Sehrish, aged 20, as a case of Dengue fever and sent her blood sample to NIH for confirmation. Sehrish was admitted in ward 6 of RGH under care of Medical Unit II on October 31. Her clinical history reveals that she was suffering from high grade fever and body ache. She had also complaints of vomiting intermittently.
She has however no history of animal contact, skin rashes or any bleeding disorder. Investigations made at RGH revealed that platelets count in her blood was reducing and has reached the figure of 115,000 from 145,000 and it has made her a suspect of Dengue fever. Dr Arzinda of MU-II recommended sending her blood sample to NIH for confirmation. The RGH has yet to receive final reports from NIH in two suspected cases of Congo fever who have already been tested negative for Dengue fever.