‘7 bacterial cases detected at AIIMS Delhi, no link to infections in China’

New Delhi: Seven bacterial cases were detected at AIIMS Delhi between April and September but they have no link whatsoever to the recent surge in respiratory infections in children reported from some parts of the world, including China, the Union health ministry said on Thursday.

The seven cases were detected as part of an ongoing study at AIIMS Delhi during the six-month period (April to September) and there “is no cause for worry”.

So far this year, Mycoplasma pneumonia has not been detected in any of the 611 samples tested at the Department of Microbiology, AIIMS Delhi as part of the Indian Council of Medical Research’s (ICMR) multiple respiratory pathogen surveillance, which included mainly severe acute respiratory illness (SARI, which comprised about 95 per cent of these cases) by real-time PCR.

“Such surge has not been reported from any part of India. The Union health ministry is in touch with state health authorities and is keeping close watch.”