Third Child Dies Due to Dengue in Ahmedabad

Mosquito-borne disease, dengue, has caused a ruckus in the country this year, with over 50 deaths reported from a single southern Indian state. Now, another fatal case has been registered in the state of Gujarat. 11-year-old boy from Ahmedabad who had dengue, died of severe brain encephalopathy (inflammation) after battling the condition for five days at a private tertiary hospital on SG Road.

TOI reported that according to Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), this is the third death of a child caused by dengue this season in the city.

Dengue is a viral infection which leads to a severe flue like condition. It is caused due to the bite of a mosquito, Aedes Aegypti. It generally occurs in the monsoon season, when the weather is warm and humid and typically appears in sub-tropical and tropical climate.

Primary symptoms of dengue appear three to 15 days after the mosquito bite and include high fever and severe headache, with severe pain behind the eyes that is apparent when trying to move the eyes. Other associated symptoms are joint pain, muscle and bone pain, rash, and mild bleeding.

The boy, identified as Jay Parikh, was first taken to a general practitioner. However, when his condition did not improve, he was later to a clinic. He was diagnosed with a viral infection and treatment began. But he had to be moved to the hospital on SG Road.

This is not the first pediatric death reported in the city. Two other cases of dengue deaths among children were registered previously: that of an 11-year-old girl from Khokhra a fortnight ago and of a 2-year-old girl from Rakhial.

“We are noting more instances of complications in dengue cases among children and we are concerned,” an AMC health official said. “Colleges and schools in the city should ensure that their campuses do not breed mosquitoes.”

TOI further reported that recently, 49 educational institutes, schools and colleges, were given notices by the AMC for allowing mosquitoes to breed. AMC officials said that the city is recording an average of seven cases of dengue daily.

According to city pediatricians, this year the cases of dengue in the population under 18 years of age are fewer compared to 2016 and 2018, but severe complications are being observed.