Pune: 9-Year-Old Girl Dies Of Suspected Dengue Within 48 Hours Of Hospitalisation

Pune has reported its first suspected dengue death of the year after a nine-year-old girl from Khese Park in Lohegaon died at Ruby Hall Clinic (RHC) on Sunday, Oct 18, within 48 hours of admission. The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) will refer the case to its health audit committee for confirmation, as the girl tested positive for dengue through a non-ELISA NS1 antigen test.

Speaking to The Free Press Journal, Dr Rajesh Dighe, assistant health chief of the PMC, said, "The case will be treated as a suspected dengue fatality until the health audit committee confirms the cause of death."

The civic body has sought the girl's treatment records and test reports from RHC for further investigation before submitting the findings to the state government.

The Class IV student reportedly developed a fever after playing dandiya on the evening of Oct 17. She was initially treated as an outpatient at a private hospital near her home before being admitted to RHC on the same day.

Dr Prashant Udavant, consultant paediatrician at RHC, said she was diagnosed with dengue shock syndrome and dengue-associated haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), a rare and severe inflammatory complication. She also had a history of asthma.

Dr Udavant told The Free Press Journal, "Her condition was critical and her platelet count was low. When she was undergoing treatment, her platelet count was around 2 lakh. When she was brought to RHC, it fell to 50,000 and later to 9,000. Her liver and kidney functions were compromised, and she succumbed to her illness."

Dr Dighe said the rapid deterioration warranted further examination.

"Such sudden deaths are not expected in dengue. There may be underlying health conditions or a delay in taking treatment that needs to be checked to understand why her condition worsened so quickly," he said.

The PMC has initiated vector-control measures in the area. According to the civic body's insect control department, Pune has recorded 2,160 suspected dengue cases this year, of which 97 were confirmed by the National Institute of Virology (NIV).

October alone accounted for 497 suspected cases, including 32 confirmed cases, while September recorded 508 suspected cases.

According to the PMC, the city has also reported 35 NIV-confirmed chikungunya cases and 42 malaria cases. The civic body has collected penalties totalling ₹6.23 lakh.

The PMC has also identified mosquito breeding at 2,660 locations, including residential premises, offices and commercial establishments, and issued 2,660 notices.