A team from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Friday informed Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu there was no cause of concern about the spread of bird flu in the state.
The team visited the state following the death of a two-year-old girl in Narasaraopet due to the avian influenza. It said that the death was was also linked to comorbidities. “Though H5N1 (bird flu) symptoms were found in the infantās samples, other health issues also contributed to her death,” the delegation informed the CM, according to an official release.
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Poor living conditions, consumption of undercooked meat, child’s low immunity, leptospirosis were identified as contributing factors. The team informed the Chief Minister that eight teams had conducted tests in the surrounding areas where the girl lived, including on her family members, and no sign of bird flu was found.
The girl had reportedly consumed raw chicken and was later admitted at AIIMS-Mangalagiri due to failing health. The infant died on March 15, and the Pune-based National Institute of Virology (NIV) later confirmed that she had contracted bird flu after testing her sample.
