IDSP launches investigation into first bird flu death reported in Delhi

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In the wake of India reporting its first bird flu death in the country, the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) has initiated an epidemiological investigation into the case.

According to official confirmation on July 21, an 11-year-old boy suffering from bird flu died at AIIMS in the national capital. The boy was admitted to the hospital on July 2 with pneumonia and leukaemia.

A government press release informs that all close contacts of the patient are under surveillance for any symptoms. Doctors and nurses who treated the patient have been monitored since July 16 for the development of any influenza-like illness. To date, no one has reported any symptoms.

Contact tracing was also undertaken and family members, close contacts and health care workers are under surveillance. None of the close contacts has reported any symptoms. Contact tracing has also been carried out in the hospital and area where the patient resided. No symptomatic individuals have been identified yet in the area.

National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) Delhi was alerted on July 16, after which a team of epidemiologists and microbiologists was constituted, who immediately visited AIIMS New Delhi and Gurugram for undertaking an epidemiological assessment.

The information was communicated to the IDSP State Surveillance Unit (SSU) in Haryana and an epidemiological investigation was launched. The matter was also reported to the Animal Husbandry Department. The state health department and animal husbandry department officials are also involved in the investigation.

The Animal Husbandry Department has not found any suspected cases of bird flu in the area and has enhanced surveillance in a 10 km zone as a precautionary measure.

Further, the epidemiological investigation by NCDC, involving the animal husbandry department and state government surveillance unit, is underway and appropriate public health measures have been instituted, read the press release.

Earlier in the day, AIIMS Chief Dr Randeep Guleria assured that human-to-human transmission of the H5N1 virus is very rare and there is no need to panic.

However, there is a need to do contact tracing and also take samples and look for any poultry deaths in the area from where the child who died due to the virus was residing, the AIIMS director told PTI.