First confirmed infantile death from enterovirus in Catalonia

The first fatal victim of enterovirus has been confirmed this Tuesday in Catalonia. The victim was a baby who had been admitted to Parc Taulí Hospital in Sabadell, suffering from flu and vomiting followed by somnolence and flaccidity, on the 31st of July and who died on Monday, Catalonia’s Health Department confirmed. “This is the first case in which we have been able to identify the virus, which was A-71”, CatSalut director, Josep Maria Argimon, explained. 110 enterovirus-related cases have been found in Catalonia since April and another baby is currently in the hospital as well. During a press conference this Tuesday, the head of paediatrics at Barcelona Vall d’Hebron Hospital, Carlos Rodrigo, pointed to the fact that only between 3% and 5% of enterovirus cases end up being fatal.

Parc Taulí Hospital in Sabadell, 30 kilometres Northfrom Barcleona (by ACN)
Parc Taulí Hospital in Sabadell, 30 kilometres Northfrom Barcleona (by ACN) / ACN

ACN

September 13, 2016 06:22 PM

Barcelona (CNA).- A baby affected by enterovirus, a severe neurological disease, died this Monday at Parc Taulí Hospital in Sabadell, 30 kilometres north of Barcelona. The baby had been admitted to the hospital on the 31st of July after her initial flu and vomiting turned into somnolence and flaccidity. “This is the first case in which we have been able to identify the virus, which was A-71”, CatSalut director, Josep Maria Argimon, explained. The enterovirus outbreak was first detected in April and since then 110 cases have been detected. Another baby died in June under similar conditions but the presence of the disease was not confirmed in that case. “The epidemic curve is decreasing, in the last two months we have only found two cases” added Argimon and explained that “the outbreak is in its final stage”. 


“We did everything we could, but even so the outcome was death”, head of paediatrics at Barcelona Vall d’Hebron Hospital, Carlos Rodrigo, explained. At a press conference this Tuesday he pointed to the fact that only between 3% and 5% of enterovirus cases end up being fatal.

Catalonia’s Health Department has called citizens to follow the usual hygiene measures and ask for paediatric advice if a baby is affected by flu accompanied by somnolence, lack of energy, trembling or other neurological symptoms.