JODHPUR: Two male nurses of a private hospital here, who fell sick on Saturday with similar symptoms and later died, were suffering from Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF).
The reports of their blood samples sent by the National Institute of Virology, Pune have confirmed CCHF, a disease caused by a tick-borne virus (Nairovirus).
Two other male nurses, who are undergoing treatment at Apollo Hospital in Ahmedabad, have also found to be affected from the same infection.
Their reports were also received by the Apollo Hospital administration from Pune today.
"We received the reports of both the deceased on Thursday night and they have confirmed them to have fallen victim of the CCHF," said Anand Goyal, Director of Goyal Hospital, Jodhpur, where the nurses were working.
All the four nurses were serving at the ICU of Goyal Hospital.
"The serum of other two patients, who are undergoing treatment at Apollo Hospital in Ahmedabad, were also sent to Pune by the hospital itself.
Their report has also confirmed CCHF," said CMHO Yuddhveer Singh adding that they are in touch with them also.
On Sunday night, Dinesh Chouhan had died of CCHF here followed by another nurse Sharavan Kumar, who died in AIIMS, New Delhi on Wednesday.
Chouhan's viscera had been sent to the lab at Pune on Monday while Kumar's was sent there by the AIIMS.
The entire medical and health department is trying hard to trace the origin of this virus in Jodhpur.
"It is indeed a matter of concern that we have this virus in Jodhpur. We have undertaken a massive drive to trace the origin of this virus by not only surveying the area in the vicinity of all these four nurses but also checking the treatment records of all the patients, dead or alive, in or out of Jodhpur, who were in the ICU during that period, where these nurses had their duties," said Singh.
CCHF is an infection spread by animals and people who work closely with animals and has symptoms similar to Ebola and dengue like high temperature, headache, muscle pain, diarrhoea, vomiting, stomach pain, convulsions and external and internal bleeding.
Meanwhile, a team from state medical and health department comprising an epidemiologist, an anthropologist and a microbiologist visited the Goyal hospital and checked the records of the patients followed by a meeting with the CMHO.
"Another team of National Center for Disease Control from New Delhi will come to Jodhpur today for further extensive study," said Singh.
The health authorities of Gujarat and Rajasthan have been alerted for a possible diagnosis of CCHF and the guidelines have been shared with these states.
Earlier doctors suspected that the nurses were infected from Ebola virus. However, on January 21, the 35-year-old nurse who died in AIIMS tested negative for Ebola.
Doctors at AIIMS had suspected that the victim was suffering from Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF).
According to a statement issued by Health Ministry, two of hospital functionaries working in the Jodhpur hospital had developed thrombocytopenia (fall in blood platelet count) and showed hemorrhagic manifestations.
"One person died at this (Jodhpur hospital)on January 18 while the other person was air lifted to AIIMS, Delhi who also died. Samples have been sent from these patients to National Institute of Virology, Pune for testing," a Union Health Ministry official had confirmed.
They had no travel history to Ebola affected countries.