Infant succumbs to bird flu in Andhra Pradesh

The girl died on March 15, and Pune-based National Institute of Virology later confirmed that she had contracted bird flu after testing her sample

Narasaraopeta (Andhra Pradesh): A two-year-old girl from Andhra Pradesh succumbed to bird flu more than a fortnight ago, an official said on Wednesday.

The infant died on March 15, and the Pune-based National Institute of Virology (NIV) later confirmed that she had contracted bird flu after testing her sample.

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“The girl died of bird flu while undergoing treatment at AIIMS-Mangalagiri,” the official told PTI.

However, the official said only the infant had contracted bird flu in her entire household, which surprised authorities.

There were no reported bird flu cases in Palnadu district, and we could not determine how the girl became infected, he said.

Asked whether the child had consumed raw chicken, the family responded affirmatively, leading officials to consider it a possible cause — though not conclusively — said the official.

Family members said the girl occasionally ate a piece or two of raw chicken and that she had consumed one before her symptoms began to appear.

Authorities suspect this habit may have been a factor but have not declared it as the definitive cause, the official added.

As a precaution, officials conducted a survey but found no new cases, including among the girl’s family members.