ICMR team blames bird flu and other factors for Narasaraopet girl’s death-OxBig News Network

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu with the ICMR team members during a review meeting at the Secretariat at Velagapudi near Vijayawada on Friday.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Friday held a review meeting with a delegation from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) that arrived in the State to study the recent death of a girl in Narasaraopet exhibiting symptoms of the H5N1 bird flu virus.

After their visit to Narasaraopet, the ICMR team met the Chief Minister at the Secretariat and discussed the factors that led to the girl’s death.

Though H5N1 virus markers were found in the samples collected from the girl, the ICMR team clarified that other underlying health factors also contributed to her death.

The team explained that consuming undercooked meat, lack of immunity due to her young age, leptospirosis (a disease spread through rat urine), and unhygienic living conditions had been identified as the other causes for the death of the girl.

‘No reason for concern’

The team informed the Chief Minister that eight teams had conducted thorough surveys in the surrounding areas where the girl lived and no sign of bird flu was found.

Samples were collected from the girl’s family members, relatives, and the local residents, and none tested positive for bird flu. The team assured the Chief Minister that there was no reason for public concern.

The Chief Minister asked the Health Department to take proactive steps to prevent such cases. The officials said that antiviral drugs were being kept ready.