Tag: viral outbreak

Rise in flu, adenovirus cases in India — but how do you tell them apart

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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India is currently facing a double whammy of respiratory issues with a rise in adenovirus cases, specially in West Bengal, along with a spike in a new viral infection causing throat ache and persistent cough. But how will you differentiate between the two and what sets the adenovirus apart?

The rise in adenovirus cases has shaken up West Bengal which reported the death of 36 children over the past nine days. While Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has assured people that only two deaths were linked to adenovirus, reports of cases, especially in children, have caused worry among parents in this post-COVID world.

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However, it doesn’t end there as doctors are also reporting a 2.5x rise in patients with acute respiratory symptoms of what seems to be a strain of a viral infection since this time last year. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), this could be caused due to Influenza A subtype H3N2.

So how do these two illnesses differ?

Adenovirus and influenza are two common viruses that can cause respiratory illnesses, but they have distinct differences.

Adenovirus is a highly contagious virus that can cause a range of illnesses, including the common cold, bronchitis, and pneumonia. Adenovirus infections typically cause symptoms such as fever, cough, runny nose, and pink eye. However, they can also cause more severe illnesses, especially in people with weakened immune systems.

ALSO READ | West Bengal on alert: What is adenovirus, what are its symptoms, causes and prevention

On the other hand, influenza or the flu is a respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. The flu is also highly contagious and can spread through close contact with infected individuals, contaminated surfaces, or airborne droplets. The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention noted that the flu can cause symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, muscle aches and fatigue. In some cases, it can also lead to severe complications such as pneumonia, bronchitis and even death.

One of the main differences between adenovirus and the flu is the severity of the illness they cause. While both can cause serious complications, the flu is generally more likely to lead to severe illness and hospitalisation, especially in vulnerable populations such as young children, elderly adults, and people with underlying health conditions. In contrast, adenovirus infections are more likely to cause mild to moderate symptoms in healthy individuals.

Another difference is that there is a vaccine available for the flu, but not for adenovirus. The flu vaccine is recommended annually for everyone aged six months and older, and it can help reduce the risk of getting the flu or lessen its severity if you do get it. There is currently no vaccine available for adenovirus, so prevention efforts mainly focus on good hygiene practices such as hand washing and avoiding close contact with infected individuals.

ALSO READ | West Bengal issues advisory as adenovirus cases rise — boosts surveillance at hospitals

In conclusion, adenovirus and the flu are distinct viruses with different symptoms, transmission routes and treatment options. The recent surge in adenovirus cases in India, particularly in West Bengal, highlights the need for increased surveillance and monitoring measures to track the spread of the virus and contain outbreaks.

Doctors also advice maintaining good hygiene practices to prevent the spread of adenovirus and other respiratory infections.

In India, the adenovirus situation has been particularly severe in the state of West Bengal, where the number of adenovirus cases has increased significantly in recent weeks, causing concern among health authorities. However, the administration released an advisory last week assuring parents that there is no reason to panic.

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No reason to panic: CM Mamata Banerjee to parents on rising adenovirus cases

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Addressing a press conference on Thursday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee assured parents that there is no reason to panic about the rising cases of adenovirus as the state government was taking ample measures to keep children safe.

She told parents to take special care of children up to 2 years in age as they cannot wear masks and need to be kept at home unless absolutely necessary.

She added that of the 12 recent deaths in West Bengal, only two resulted from adenovirus infections, while the rest were due to comorbidities such as pulmonary hemorrhages and weight loss.

She emphasised that although people are scared, especially after enduring the impact of COVID-19, common cold and flu cases are registered every year during this time of seasonal transition.

“Any child’s death is sad. Common cold and flu cases are registered every year during this time of seasonal transition. There is nothing to panic about. Such deaths are happening in every state, not just in Bengal,” she added.

As of February 18, a total of 115 patients had been admitted in AMRI hospitals with respiratory issues, they announced. Five paediatric cases were reported among the 22 patients that were admitted to the ICU/HDU with respiratory issues.

Most adults were suffering from adenovirus, non-COVID-19 coronavirus, influenza, parainfluenza, rhinovirus, pneumococcus and RSV, AMRI Hospitals said.

ALSO READ | West Bengal issues advisory as adenovirus cases rise — boosts surveillance at hospitals

She assured the public that there is nothing to be afraid of, as her administration has readied 5,000 beds and assigned 600 doctors to deal with such cases.

To address these issues, Banerjee said that her administration has also made a host of provisions for telemedicine services and urged hospitals in districts to stop referring patients to Kolkata. She also announced the operationalization of a 24×7 toll-free helpline number 1800-313-444-222.

These provisions were announced in an advisory on Tuesday after the chief minister held an emergency meeting with the West Bengal Health Department.

ALSO READ | West Bengal on alert: What is adenovirus, what are its symptoms, causes and prevention

Banerjee also criticized the media for going overboard with news about the infection, calling on them to report only what is true.

She also slammed district hospital authorities for referring cases of flu and infections to medical facilities in Kolkata, saying that rural hospitals have similar infrastructure to treat sick children.

Banerjee added that the time taken for a child to travel to the city further deteriorates their health.

“It takes five to six hours for one child to reach Kolkata from Malda, and it is during this travel the child may collapse and die. We have made provisions for telemedicine services. Hospitals (in districts) must stop referring patients to Kolkata,” she said.

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West Bengal issues advisory as adenovirus cases rise — boosts surveillance at hospitals

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday issued an advisory on rising adenovirus cases in the state following an emergency meeting with Health Department officials.

The issue has grappled the state since at least five children have died in the past 24 hours, the health department had said on Tuesday. A 13-year-old girl died at a city hospital in Kharagpur due to health complications after being infected with adenovirus on January 23.

Here is a list of everything mentioned in the advisory issued by the Health Department in response to the spike in adenovirus cases among children in West Bengal:

1. All medical colleges, district hospitals, and block-level children’s departments to remain open 24 hours.

2. Separate pediatric ARI clinics to be opened at all MCHs, DHs, SSHs, SDHs, and SGHs in the state.

3. No pediatric case to be referred without the permission of the Superintendent.

4. Referral cannot be done unless a bed is ensured at the destination hospital.

5. Hospitals to keep ventilators ready, and the Superintendent and Nursing Superintendent to personally check their operationality on a daily basis.

6. A 24X7 helpline number, 1800-313444-222, to be provided.

7. Generation of awareness on isolation and protection of children from crowds, public places, and the use of masks.

8. Sensitization of private hospitals and practitioners at every level.

9. Five hospitals, Dr. B C Roy Post Graduate Institute of Paediatric Sciences, CNMCH, NBMCH, Bankura Sanmilani MCH, and Malda MCH, to mentor the spoke hospitals.

10. Regular training on critical care for pediatric ARI cases to be organized.

Adenoviruses are a group of viruses that potentially cause mild to severe infection in the body, especially the respiratory tract. Adenovirus infections can happen in kids of any age, but it is commonly seen in babies and young children, according to US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

ALSO READ | West Bengal on alert: What is adenovirus, what are its symptoms, causes and prevention

It can spread from an infected person to others through close personal contact and through the air by coughing and sneezing or touching a contaminated object or surface.

Currently, there are no approved antiviral medicines and no specific treatment for patients suffering from an adenovirus infection.

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West Bengal on alert: What is adenovirus, what are its symptoms, causes and prevention

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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West Bengal has reported a sharp spike in adenovirus cases and paediatric care units are filing up in various hospitals. At least two children, a six-month-old boy and a two-and-half-year-old girl who were admitted with respiratory problems in two separate state-run child hospitals have died.

The state health department has not released any official data on the death toll, or the number of children affected in the state, Hindustan Times reported.

Health professionals in Kolkata have been instructed to be more watchful and alert about flu-like symptoms in children. The state health department has also issued an advisory asking people to avoid crowded places and to wear masks. Parents have been requested to not send their children to school if they are sick.

Additionally, medical colleges across the state and the chief medical officers of health of all districts have been directed to check readiness and take stock of equipment and infrastructure including oxygen supply and paediatric ventilators in hospitals.

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Hospital wards across the state are filled with children suffering from respiratory infections mostly caused by adenovirus infection, The Times of India reported. Paediatric intensive care units (PICU) in most hospitals are currently occupied with infected children.

What is adenovirus?

Adenoviruses are a group of viruses that potentially cause mild to severe infection in the body, especially the respiratory tract. Adenovirus infections can happen in kids of any age, but it is commonly seen in babies and young children, according to US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

Adenoviruses can cause mild to severe illness, but patients with weakened immune systems, or existing respiratory or cardiac disease, are at higher risk of developing severe illness.

The infections can cause symptoms like the common cold or flu but in severe cases, they can lead to complications like pneumonia and pharyngeal-conjunctival fever.

Symptoms

1. Common cold or flu-like symptoms
2. Fever
3. Sore throat
4. Acute bronchitis or chest cold
5. Pneumonia (infection of the lungs)
6. Pink eye (conjunctivitis)
7. Acute gastroenteritis or inflammation of the stomach or intestines causes diarrhoea, vomiting, nausea and stomach pain.

How does it spread?

Adenoviruses can spread from an infected person to others through close personal contact and through the air by coughing and sneezing or touching a contaminated object or surface.

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Adenovirus can also spread through contaminated water and through an infected person’s stool, for example, during diaper changing in the case of children.

Treatment

Currently, there are no approved antiviral medicines and no specific treatment for patients suffering from an adenovirus infection.

Most adenovirus infections are mild and may be managed with rest and over-the-counter medicines for fever and pain to help relieve symptoms.

Infants, especially newborns and premature babies, children with weak immune systems, or severe adenovirus infections may need antiviral medicine and treatment in a hospital that could include IV fluids, oxygen, and breathing treatments.

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Ghana reports Marburg virus outbreak — What causes the disease, symptoms and precautions

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Ghana has confirmed the country’s first outbreak of Marburg virus. Two people from the Ashanti region of Ghana were found to be infected with the virus. They showed symptoms including diarrhoea, fever, nausea, and vomiting. Both died during treatment.

The samples collected from two patients were sent for tests. The Institut Pasteur’s laboratory in Dakar later confirmed that their illness was due to the Marburg virus. The first case was a 26-year-old man, who was admitted to the hospital on June 26 and died a day later. The second case was of a 51-year-old man, who was admitted to the hospital on June 28 and died on the same day.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is supporting the local joint national investigative team and has deployed experts, made personal protective equipment available, bolstered disease surveillance with testing and tracing of contacts. Health authorities and the WHO are working with communities to alert and educate people about the risks and dangers of the disease.

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What is the Marburg virus disease (MVD)?

Marburg virus disease is a severe, often fatal illness in humans that causes severe viral haemorrhagic fever.

The average MVD case fatality rate is around 50 percent. However, as per the WHO, the case fatality rates can vary from 24-88 percent depending on virus strain and case management.

The incubation period (interval from infection to onset of symptoms) of the disease varies from 2-21 days.

The Marburg virus disease was first detected in 1967 during simultaneous outbreaks in Marburg and Frankfurt in Germany and in Belgrade, Serbia.

Both Marburg and Ebola viruses are members of the Filoviridae family (filovirus). The two diseases are also clinically similar and have the capacity to cause outbreaks with high fatality rates.

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Symptoms

Illness caused by Marburg virus begins abruptly, causing high fever, severe headache and severe malaise.

Muscle aches and pains are a common symptom.

Symptoms like severe watery diarrhoea, abdominal pain and cramping, nausea and vomiting can begin on the third day and diarrhoea can persist for a week.

Most patients develop severe haemorrhagic manifestations between 5-7 days, and fatal cases usually have some form of bleeding, often from multiple areas of the body.

During the severe phase of illness, patients have sustained high fevers.

In fatal cases, death commonly occurs between 8-9 days after symptom onset, usually due to severe blood loss and shock.

Transmission

Marburg virus spreads between humans through direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes) with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected people. It also spreads through contact with surfaces and materials (e.g. bedding, clothing) contaminated with these fluids.

Treatment and vaccines

Currently, there is no specific antiviral treatment or vaccines approved for MVD. However, supportive care with frequent rehydration with oral or intravenous fluids and treatment of specific symptoms can improve chances of survival.

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Prevention and control

1. To reduce the risk, public awareness is of utmost importance. The following preventative measures are to be taken to contain the disease:
2. To reduce the risk of bat-to-human transmission from exposure to mines or caves inhabited by fruit bat colonies, people should wear gloves and other appropriate protective clothing (including masks).
3. All animal products (blood and meat) should be thoroughly cooked before consumption during the outbreaks.
4. Physical contact with Marburg patients should be avoided.
5. Gloves and appropriate personal protective equipment must be donned when taking care of ill patients.
6. Regular hand washing is a must.
7. Communities affected by Marburg should ensure that the population is well informed, both about the nature of the disease and the necessary outbreak containment measures. 

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Cholera outbreak claims 5 in Maharashtra’s Amravati: Check causes, symptoms, precautions and more

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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A cholera outbreak in Maharashtra’s Amravati district has claimed five lives so far and about 181 people have been diagnosed with the disease, according to the state public health department. Among the deceased were two women and three men. Three of these patients were in the age group 24 to 40 years and the rest were over 70 years old, reports said.

On July 7, the water-borne disease broke out in the Chikhaldara and Amravati blocks of the Amravati district. The outbreak has affected three villages in the Chikhaldara block (Dongri, Koylari and Ghana) and one village (Naya Akola) in Amaravati block, as per a Business Standard report.

Medical teams are working round the clock in the affected villages and efforts for prevention and control, monitoring of water quality, patient surveillance, management and treatment, and health awareness are underway, as per the state department.

A state-level squad is currently investigating the outbreak to provide appropriate guidance. The additional health secretary (Public Health) has reviewed the outbreak in the district and instructions have been given to the District Collector and Chief Executive Officer of Amaravati district administration.

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What is cholera?

Cholera is a water-borne disease caused by a bacterium that causes fever and severe dehydration due to diarrhoea and vomiting. Usually, cholera resolves in a few days, however, if the patient has severe symptoms, he/she may need proper medical treatment, or it could be fatal and the patient can die within hours.

Symptoms of cholera

Cholera spreads through bacterium vibrio cholerae that causes mild to severe symptoms like:

Diarrhoea, or extremely loose motions

Vomiting

Intense thirst

Muscle cramps

Restlessness or irritability

Weakness

Diarrhoea and vomiting are the deadliest symptoms of cholera that can lead to the loss of important substances like electrolytes, sodium, potassium, and fluids from the body. This often leads to severe dehydration which can be fatal.

Prevention

Cholera is most potent during the monsoon season. To prevent it, it is recommended to:

Wash your hands using soap thoroughly and frequently

Drink purified safe water. It can be bottled or boiled and cooled water

Drink hot beverages like tea and coffee

Avoid consumption of raw food and meat

Treatment

Cholera usually resolves in a few days. However, for patients with severe symptoms, the only way to treat cholera fever is to restore the water and salt balance in the body. Oral rehydration solutions (ORS) or intravenous hydration fluids along with antibiotics are commonly given to patients

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New Chinese coronavirus cases show slight fall; Chinese tourist dies in France

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The number of new cases of a coronavirus in China fell slightly on Sunday, more than three weeks after the outbreak’s epicentre was locked down, and a Chinese tourist died from the virus in France, the first fatality in Europe.

The coronavirus, thought to have emerged at a wildlife market in the central Chinese province of Hubei, has presented the ruling Communist Party with the huge challenge of halting its spread while at the same time minimising damage to the world’s second-largest economy.

Beijing’s latest figures showed 68,500 cases of the illness and 1,665 deaths, most of them in Hubei.

The National Health Commission on Sunday reported 2,009 new cases, down from 2,641 the previous day, and 142 new deaths, just one lower than the 143 the previous day. All but four of the new deaths were in Hubei.

The province and its capital, Wuhan, have been virtually sealed off and locked down since January 23, with schools, offices and factories shut and most travel suspended.

The virus is believed to have an incubation period of 14 days which would appear to indicate it has been spreading since the lockdown was imposed.

“China should strengthen the unified leadership of efforts to control the epidemic,” President Xi Jinping said in comments reported by the Xinhua news agency.

Outside mainland China, there have been about 500 cases in some two dozen countries and territories, with four deaths — in Japan, Chinese-ruled Hong Kong, the Philippines and now France.

In the French case, an 80-year-old Chinese man died at a Paris hospital of a lung infection due to the flu-like virus, authorities said on Saturday.

“We have to get our health system ready to face a possible pandemic propagation of the virus, and therefore the spreading of the virus across France,” said health minister Agnes Buzyn.

Robin Thompson, an expert in mathematical epidemiology at Britain’s University of Oxford, said that with nearly 50 cases in Europe, a death was not surprising.

“The most important thing to point out, however, is that there still hasn’t been sustained person-to-person transmission in Europe,” he said.

‘Lack old urgency’

After an extended Lunar New Year holiday, China urgently needs to get back to work. But some cities remain in lockdown, streets are deserted, employees are nervous, and travel bans and quarantine orders are in place around the country.

Those returning to Beijing from the holiday have been ordered to undergo a 14-day self-quarantine to prevent the spread of the virus.

Many factories are yet to re-open, disrupting supply chains in China and beyond for everyone from smartphone makers to car manufacturers.

While there has been some hope expressed this week that the disease may be peaking in China, numbers keep rising and a trend has been hard to discern, especially after a reclassification that widened the definition of cases.

World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said it was impossible to tell where the epidemic will spread.

“We are concerned by the continued increase in the number of cases in China,” Tedros told the Munich Security Conference in Germany. “We are concerned by the lack of urgency in funding the response from the international community.

“Most of all, we are concerned about the potential havoc this virus could wreak in countries with weaker health systems.”

Knocking growth

The biggest cluster outside China has been on a cruise ship, the Diamond Princess, quarantined off Japan’s Yokohama, with 70 more cases reported on Sunday. That took the total out of about 3,700 passengers and crew on board to 355.

Those testing positive are sent to hospital.

The United States said on Saturday it plans to send an aircraft to pick up American passengers and take them back home where they face another two weeks of isolation “out of an abundance of caution”.

Hong Kong said it planned to do the same for some 330 of its residents, while Canada said it too would send a plane for its citizens on the vessel.

Another cruise ship, the MS Westerdam, finally docked in Cambodia on Thursday after being rejected by ports in several other countries and territories.

The ship was believed to be free of the virus but an 83-year-old American woman from it tested positive on landing in Malaysia, health authorities there said.

The sickness, now officially labelled Covid-19, has killed about 2 percent of those infected. Cases have spread faster than other respiratory viruses this century.

The economic ripple effects go far beyond China.

White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said the coronavirus might knock two- to three-tenths of a percent off US growth in the first quarter.

The sporting world has suffered too. In the latest disruption, Chinese gymnasts were forced to cancel attendance at next week’s World Cup in Melbourne because of Australian travel curbs.

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow