VIJAYAWADA: There is no immediate public health threat, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) officials informed Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu on Friday.
The Chief Minister held a review meeting at the Secretariat with ICMR officials. The ICMR team, after visiting Narasaraopet, briefed Naidu on their findings. He has directed the Health Department to take preventive measures to avoid incidents like the recent death of a young girl in Narasaraopet, initially suspected to be caused by bird flu (H5N1).
While the girl’s samples showed traces of H5N1, they attributed her death to multiple contributing factors, including a weak immune system due to her age, consumption of undercooked meat, poor sanitation, and leptospirosis—a bacterial infection transmitted through rat excreta.
Officials reported that eight survey teams found no signs of bird flu in the region. Tests conducted on the girl’s family, relatives, and nearby residents also returned negative for H5N1. The officials informed the CM that antiviral drugs are stocked across the State.