A sharp spike has been reported in adenovirus cases among children in West Bengal and the virus was detected in at least 32 per cent of samples of respiratory infections among children at ICMR-NICED.
Pediatric wards in state-run and private hospitals across the state are reportedly filling up fast due to children suffering from respiratory infections, many of them suspected to be adenovirus.
Two children — one six-month-old boy and a two-and a half-year-old girl — died on Sunday after battling respiratory infection suspected to have been caused by adenovirus, reported Times of India.
Although the state health department has not yet released any data on the number of children affected or the death toll, officials said at least 32 per cent of the samples sent to the National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (ICMR-NICED) in Kolkata since January have tested positive, as per a Hindustan Times report.
“Around 32% of the samples sent to us since January tested positive for adenovirus. In December, it was 22%. Usually, it ranges below 10%. This is a matter of concern. We are planning to send some samples for genome sequencing,” said a senior official of ICMR-NICED in Kolkata, as per Hindustan Times.
Medical colleges across the state and the chief medical officers of health of all districts have been directed to check the preparedness and take stock of equipment and infrastructure including oxygen supply and pediatric ventilators, the Hindustan Times reported. Guidelines on treating children with respiratory illnesses have also been issued.
The state government has issued an advisory which includes avoiding crowded places and wearing masks. Parents have been requested not to send children to schools if they are sick.
Children under the age of two are particularly at risk.
“Even though the virus is affecting almost everyone, but children below the age of two years are at risk. The primary reason is drastic fluctuations in the weather. Also, after the Covid-19 pandemic and children are freely mixing now in schools,” said a doctor of a state-run hospital, as per the report.
What is Adenovirus? Check Symptoms, Treatment
Adenoviruses typically cause mild cold or flu-like illness, as per the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
While they can affect people of all ages, children can be at risk. As per the US National Library of Medicine, even for children who have previously been healthy, adenovirus can be a “serious, life-threatening” condition.
The common symptoms of adenovirus, as per the CDC, include a common cold, fever, sore throat, flu-like conditions, acute bronchitis, pneumonia and pink eye among others.
It typically spreads through close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands, air-borne through coughing or sneezing, or touching an object or surface with adenoviruses on it, then touching your mouth, nose, or eyes before washing your hands, as per the CDC.
Adenovirus infections cannot be treated with any approved antiviral drugs or methods. Most adenovirus infections are minor, and symptoms can usually be handled with rest and over-the-counter painkillers or fever reducers.
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