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Six-year-old Indian girl dies of hepatitis in UAE

Dubai - The Grade 2 student was taken to a Dubai hospital where she passed away due to internal bleeding.

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A six year old Indian girl from Gulf Asian School in Sharjah died early morning on Tuesday due to complications related to hepatitis and sepsis, according to the school principal.
Shiba Fathima Mannan of Grade 2 was a very regular student until two days ago when she fell sick. "She has another sibling in the school in Grade 5 and she was a regular student when suddenly two days ago she stopped coming to school due to illness," said Nasreen Banu.
The family is from Kannur, Kerala.
"She was already being treated by a doctor nearby but on Tuesday she started vomiting and was taken to the hospital by 11.30am," said Banu.
The parentstook her to a hospital in Dubai where she passed away by 1.30pm due to internal bleeding. Hospital sources have listed the cause of the death as hepatitis and sepsis. She was buried on Wednesday evening.
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Warning signs: How do you know if the flu is deadly?
Unusual rise in flu cases seen this year in UAE
Dubai student's death due to suspected flu an isolated incident
Get vaccinated, family urges after Dubai student dies of suspected flu

Flu-related deaths
Flu-related deaths are not entirely uncommon and are a major issue across the globe. According to 2018 statistics made available on the World Health Organisation (WHO) website, every year, influenza (the virus that causes flu symptoms) annual epidemics are estimated to result in about 3 to 5 million cases of severe illness, and about 290,000 to 650,000 respiratory deaths across the globe.
The report added: "The effects of seasonal influenza epidemics in developing countries are not fully known, but research estimates that 99 per cent of deaths in children under five years of age with influenza-related lower respiratory tract infections are found in developing countries."

Warning signs: How do you know if the flu is deadly?

Dr Gurukanth Neeleshwar Rao, specialist internal medicine at Aster Clinic Bur Dubai, said: "Flu presents itself with symptoms of fever, cough, body ache, sore throat and a runny nose. It is caused by a virus called Influenza virus."
He added: "Influenza virus is of two types - type A and type B. Flu is a self-limiting disease and no medicines are required, except for paracetamol to control fever. Most people recover within one to two weeks."
However, the flu can be a problem for high-risk patients. "In this case, the virus is the same. However, the severity of the disease is higher for high-risk patients who are usually 65 years or older, young children, pregnant women, uncontrolled diabetics and patients with other pre-existing medical conditions."
A delayed visit to the paediatrician in cases of severe illness can lead to organ failure. "The faster you consult the doctor, the better the chances of recovery," explained Dr Rao. Furthermore, antibiotics are not the right treatment for the flu. "Influenza is a virus. Patients need to be prescribed antiviral medicines, and parents should not start an antibiotic course on their own."

Vaccinations

"Most flu shots are safe for children over six months old and must be taken before the start of the flu season. Any time between September to October is a good time to take the shot." The vaccine gives patients protection for a year and patients can't take it at the time of active infection. A registered doctor or nurse needs to administer the vaccine, and it costs anything between Dh40-Dh80 when purchased at a pharmacy, without insurance.

Danger: What to look out for?

To establish the severity of the case, parents can look out for the following symptoms:
1-If the child continues to get sicker and has persistent fever
2-Rapid or troubled breathing means the infection has spread to the lungs
3-If the child develops a blueish hue to his or her skin
4-The child is not ready to interact and if the child feels drowsy
5-Fever with rash
6-Fever with a severe cough
7-The child is refusing to take fluids
asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com