India’s medical research organization Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has said that a new strain of adenovirus is spreading in the country. The agency has sent a warning in a letter to the health department of the state of West Bengal, informing about the spread of the virus.
According to the letter, a new species of adenovirus has been developed in India. From 2022 to 2023, a large proportion of children infected with adenovirus in West Bengal were infected with the new strain.
The ICMR says the risk of death from the new strain of virus is very high. That is why the incidence of child death due to adeno virus has increased.
The new species has been named ‘B7/3’. Earlier this species of adenovirus was found in Argentina and Portugal, but this species has never been found in India. According to the ICMR, this type of virus was found by testing the sputum of infected children in West Bengal.
