Pneumonia cases detected in AIIMS Delhi have no link to respiratory illness in China, clarifies India govt
The government on Thursday clarified that seven bacterial cases detected at AIIMS Delhi have no link to the respiratory infections in children reported in various parts of the world, including China. Media reports had claimed detection of bacterial cases in AIIMS Delhi linked to the recent surge in pneumonia cases in China.
The ministry of health said that seven cases were identified as part of an ongoing study conducted at AIIMS Delhi from April to September 2023.
«The seven cases have been detected as a part of an ongoing study at AIIMS Delhi in the six month period (April to September 2023) and is no cause for worry. Since January 2023 till date, no mycoplasma pneumonia was detected in the 611 samples tested at the Department of Microbiology, AIIMS Delhi as a part ICMR's multiple respiratory pathogen surveillance, which included mainly severe acute respiratory illness (SARI, which comprised about 95% of these cases) by real-time PCR,» the ministry said in a statement.
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The government also said that mycoplasma pneumonia is the most common bacterial cause of community-acquired pneumonia, accounting for approximately 15-30% of such infections. «It is crucial to highlight that no surge in mycoplasma pneumonia cases has been reported from any part of India,» it said.
The Union Health Ministry is closely monitoring the situation and maintaining regular communication with state health authorities.
