Nine-year-old Kozhikode girl dies; doctors suspect rare Kawasaki disease, officials rule out viral infection

Kozhikode: A nine-year-old girl from Kadalur in the district has died after doctors suspected that she was suffering from Kawasaki disease, a rare inflammatory illness that primarily affects children. 

Health officials, however, stressed that the diagnosis has not been confirmed and that the disease is not contagious.

A senior medical official told Onmanorama that the child was only a suspected Kawasaki disease case. The official also clarified that the condition is neither a viral infection nor a communicable disease, and there is no reason for the public to panic.

The deceased has been identified as Aisha Helna, daughter of Jabnas and Muhsina of Kodikkal in Kadalur. She was a Class IV student of Kodikkal AMUP School. 

According to hospital sources, the child developed a high fever earlier this week and was admitted to a private hospital. She also had reddish skin rashes and an unusually red tongue. Based on these symptoms, a dermatologist suspected Kawasaki disease and advised that she be shifted to Kozhikode Medical College Hospital for specialised treatment.

She was admitted to the government hospital on Thursday. Doctors noted that she had been running a persistent fever, prompting doctors to initiate treatment for suspected Kawasaki disease. Despite medical efforts, the child died on Saturday.

Kawasaki disease is a rare inflammatory disorder that causes swelling of blood vessels, particularly in young children.

Health official said, since there is no specific laboratory test to confirm the illness, doctors rely on clinical symptoms for diagnosis.