11 infants admitted with adenovirus infection at Institute of Child Health

Kolkata: As many as 11 babies have been admitted at the Institute of Child Health with adenovirus. Some of them are stated to be in serious condition.

According to sources in the hospital, five babies have been kept in ventilation while six others have been undergoing treatment at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the hospital. As many as 60-70 children affected with adenovirus have been treated at the hospital for the past two months. Some of the patients died despite best efforts by the doctors.

There have been some of cases of pneumonia reported in the hospital as well. It has also been learnt that some children and a few elderly patients have been under medication at various hospitals in the city with similar symptoms.

Dr Prabhas Prasun Giri, intensivist at the Institute of child Health, said that the babies who have been admitted to the hospital are aged between four months and one year.

A large number of patients have been treated in the hospital so far, most of whom have already been released. Adenovirus can be a serious cause when it comes to morbidity and mortality.

According to a senior official of the hospital, there is also a crisis of influenza vaccine due to the rising number of viral infection patients in the past two months.

There is no proper vaccine for adenovirus and hence the doctors are administering other medicines to the patients. The affected children are developing a lung infection, which eventually leads to pneumonia.

Children are more susceptible to the virus due to their low immunity. The infection can spread fast among the children who tend to be in close contact with the affected ones. Earlier, it was difficult to identify the virus.

Respiratory problem, sore throat, fever, persisting cough and cold are the signs of the virus. If fever keeps recurring despite medication, the patient should be taken to the hospital and also if they complain of irritation in eyes or muscle pain.

"Adenovirus appears to be like a common respiratory tract infection. Antibiotics do not properly work when the patient is affected with this virus. We fail to convince the family members that there is

no proper medicine for adenovirus. If the symptoms persist for more than two to three days, the cause should get investigated without further delay," an official of the hospital said.