Seven-year-old in Madurai dies of suspected dengue

A seven-year-old boy succumbed to viral haemorrhagic fever at a private hospital in Madurai on the night of January 21. The boy had symptoms of dengue, but the district administration has said that it could not be confirmed whether the boy died of the viral disease.

According to reports, seven-year-old Thirumalesh from S Alankulam in Madurai was running a fever for a few days, for which he had been receiving treatment from a nearby clinic. However, when his condition did not improve, his mother Sathyapriya admitted him to a private hospital in the vicinity on January 20. Though he was undergoing treatment there, Thirumalesh died of heavy blood loss due to the viral haemorrhagic fever the next day.  

Health officials in the district said that the boy had the symptoms of dengue as well as a low platelet count, but the ELISA test to confirm dengue as the disease was not performed. The hospital

Talking to Puthiyathalaimurai, Selvakumar, uncle of Thirumalesh said, “He was having fever from last week. We thought that it was nothing serious and took him to a nearby clinic. They administered an injection and provided tablets. However, he once again contracted fever so we took him to a private hospital. We once again shifted him to another hospital but in vain.”

Thirumalesh’s elder brother, Nitin Jai, also has symptoms of fever and is currently receiving treatment at the Government Rajaji Hospital, Madurai. 

The district medical team headed by Kumaragurubaran IAS visited the spot and conducted inspections of possible breeding areas of dengue-carrying mosquitoes. The Medical Official said, “If anyone contracts fever, they should immediately come to government hospital instead of getting treatment at clinics. The delay in providing treatment is a threat to life.”

Efforts are underway to control the infection and spread of the viral disease in the region, which is known for its high number of dengue cases in the past.