MULTAN: A Congo virus patient died in Nishtar Hospital while another patient is still under treatment in the hospital.

Prevention and Control Programme of Epidemics district coordinator Dr Attaur Rehman confirmed death of the patient on Friday.

He said Saifullah, a resident of Loralai (Balochistan), died while another patient, identified as Maalik, was also brought from Loralai and he was being treated. He said Maalik belonged to Waziristan but was working as cattle handler in Loralai while Saifullah was restaurant worker and dealt in meat.

Dr Rehman said Congo virus spread through tick found on animals while the people who dealt with dairy farming and livestock were likely to get infected and carry the virus.

District Coordination Officer Nadir Chatha, who visited the Nishtar Hospital, said Saifullah’s body had been dispatched to Loralai with proper arrangements to avert the spread of the disease. He said the lab test results of both the patients were still being awaited but all the symptoms in both the patients were of Congo fever.

Meanwhile, the district administration informed the chief secretary and Advisor to Chief Minister on Health Khawaja Salman Rafique about both the patients at the Nishtar Hospital.

Another patient hailing from Bahawalpur had died of Congo fever at the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) Multan on Wednesday.