5 children died of respiratory infection in last 24 hours in Kolkata

Kolkata:

Five children have died due to respiratory infection in various hospitals of the city in the last 24 hours in West Bengal, raising apprehensions of rising cases of adenovirus in the state, a health department official said today.

However, doctors are unsure whether the death was due to infection.

Adenoviruses in children usually cause infections in the respiratory and intestinal tracts.

Doctors said that children in the age group of 0-2 years are considered most vulnerable to the infection, with children in the age group of 2-5 years and 5-10 years most likely to get infected.

Children above the age of 10 are less susceptible to the virus, he said, adding that precautions should be taken as most cases are manageable and treatable at home.

Of the five children, two were undergoing treatment at the Kolkata Medical College and Hospital, while three others were being treated at the Dr BC Roy Post Graduate Institute of Pediatric Sciences, he said.

“All the five children died due to pneumonia. We are still waiting for the test report of the nine-month-old girl to confirm whether she died due to adenovirus or not,” the official told PTI. “

Two infants died in government hospitals in Kolkata due to respiratory infection, a health official said on Tuesday.

A nine-month-old baby from Chandranagar in neighboring Hooghly district died at the Kolkata Medical College and Hospital, while another child died at the Dr BC Roy Postgraduate Institute of Pediatric Sciences, they said.

Both the deaths were reported on Monday, the official said, adding that the cases were referred from hospitals in other districts.

Three deaths have been reported in the state since Saturday, one of which was due to adenovirus infection.

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