Pakistan: ‘Mysterious viral fever’ grips Karachi; demand for platelets up in hospitals

Pakistan as of Friday, 12 November has witnessed umpteen cases of “mysterious viral fever” that has gripped several parts of Karachi, ANI reported citing Islamabad’s news outlets. According to the medical experts, the strange viral fever which came into notice just this past week reduced the blood platelets count as well as the white blood cells. Patients were generally brought into the hospital with a high temperature, and symptoms resembling dengue fever. Although, when these said patients were diagnosed with Dengue their tests turned back negative.  

“For a couple of weeks, we are seeing cases of viral fever, in which platelets and white blood cells are dropping while other clinical symptoms are also similar to the dengue fever. But when NS1 antigen of these patients is performed, their tests come out to be negative,” Prof Saeed Khan, head of molecular pathology at the Dow University of Health Sciences, said, according to the Islamabad’s publication News International. 

People running 'pillar to post for platelets for their loved ones,' Pak's molecular scientist says

A molecular scientist, Dr. Muhammad Zohaib, associated with the Children’s Hospital in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, said that there have been known cases of “dengue-like” viral fever, which was not dengue by Pakistan’s pathologists all over the city. “Owing to this mysterious viral disease in addition to the growing number of dengue fever cases, there is an extreme shortage of mega units of platelets as well as random units in the city. People are moving from pillar to post for mega units and random platelets units for their loved ones,” he said.

Several physicians and hemato-pathologists from across the hospitals in Karachi and various other cities confirmed that the strange dengue virus-like pathogen was circulating in Pakistan and that the ailment’s cause and source are still unknown. It was yet to be established whether the pathogen was contagious and its mode of spread was bodily or via air transmission. But the publication quoted the doctors as saying that they would, for now, adhere to the same treatment protocols for the patients as dengue while also confirming that the disease is not dengue. 

As many as 45 new viral fever cases have been reported in Pakistan’s capital city Islamabad, ARY News reported, citing the district health officer’s (DHO) statement. As the winter approached, a total of 4,292 mosquito-borne viral disease cases were registered in the federal capital of Pakistan. Hospitals and blood banks across Karachi were stretched due to the acute shortage of mega units and random units of platelets, UTV reported, referencing Pakistan’s clinicians’ and medics’ misery with the onset of the winter flu season.