Adenovirus scare in Bengal: Alert issued to health professionals in Kolkata; check symptoms, treatment
1 min read 20 Feb 2023, 11:17 AM IST11 children have died in West Bengal so far due to issues related to fever, colds and breathing problems.
PremiumAdenovirus, after coronavirus and dengue, is causing major concerns. In the current winter, 11 children have died in West Bengal due to issues related to fever, colds and breathing problems. Now, in order to identify and treat potential adenovirus cases early, health professionals in Kolkata have been instructed to be more watchful about flu-like symptoms in children.
As per the US National Library of Medicine, even for children who have previously been healthy, adenovirus can be a “serious, life-threatening" condition. Adenoviruses are typically transmitted from one person to another via intimate contact, such as touching or shaking hands, or by coughing and sneezing into the air.
Adenoviruses can also be spread by contacting an infected object or surface, then touching your mouth, nose or eyes before washing your hands. Certain adenoviruses can be transferred through a person's stool, such as when changing a baby's diaper. Although less frequent, adenovirus can also spread through water, such as swimming pools.
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In West Bengal, people have been struggling to find available hospital beds in paediatric department's general intensive care unit (PICU), reported Anandabazar Patrika while adding that even ventilators are unavailable due to the present crisis.
Adenovirus symptoms
Despite the rarity of significant sickness, adenoviruses can cause mild to severe illness. Adenovirus infections can cause serious illness in people who already have respiratory or cardiac disease, have compromised immune systems, or both, as per US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
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While common cold, fever, sore throat, pneumonia and acute bronchitis are some of the most common symptoms, gastrointestinal inflammation is another possibility, which can result in diarrhoea, vomiting, nausea and stomach pain.
Adenovirus treatment
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. While there is an adenovirus vaccine, it is only allowed to be used in the US military.
