RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, Aug.18: The bird flu has knocked on the state.
Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) microbiology department head Dr Manoj Kumar confirmed this during a press conference at the institute.
He said a sample of a nine-month child was taken in the unit of Dr Rajeev Mishra in the paediatric department. It was sent to the genetics and genomics department, where the report of flu has come positive, he added.
A RIMS insider said that the child is from Sandwadih in Ramgarh district.
Earlier in March this year, cases of bird flu had surfaced in Ranchi and Bokaro. As many as 96 birds were culled and over 5000 eggs were destroyed and disposed of in Ranchi after a case of bird flu was detected at the Jail More. It took 21 days after the detection of a case of Bird Flu to declare normalcy.
The reported signs and symptoms of avian bird flu virus infections in humans have ranged from no symptoms or mild illness [such as eye redness (conjunctivitis) or mild flu-like upper respiratory symptoms], to severe (such as pneumonia requiring hospitalization) and included fever (temperature of 100ºF [37.8ºC] or greater) or feeling feverish, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches, fatigue, and shortness of breath or difficulty breathing. Less common signs and symptoms include diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, or seizures.
Bird flu virus infection in people cannot be diagnosed by clinical signs and symptoms alone. A laboratory test is required. Bird flu virus infection is usually diagnosed by collecting a swab from the upper respiratory tract (nose or throat) of the sick person. Testing is more accurate when the swab is collected during the first few days of illness.
For critically ill patients, collection and testing of lower respiratory tract specimens also may lead to diagnosis of bird flu virus infection. However, for some patients who are no longer very sick or who have fully recovered, it may be difficult to detect bird flu virus in a specimen.
Contacted Dr Manoj Kumar for his comment, he summed up saying ‘symptoms are like corona and precaution in this case is taken what we take during corona infection.’
