Fourteen children undergoing blood transfusions have tested positive for deadly infections like HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C, at a government-run hospital in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur, The Hindustan Times reported.
The incident was reported at Lala Lajpat Rai Hospital and the doctors indicated the fault could lie with ineffective tests for viruses that are meant to be procedurally carried out on donated blood.
The 14 children between the ages of 6 and 16 are from different parts of the state, including Kanpur city, Etawah and Kannauj. Seven of them tested positive for Hepatitis B, five for Hepatitis C and two for HIV.
They underwent transfusions at private and district hospitals for the thalassemia blood disorder they were already suffering from.
Arun Arya, the head of the paediatrics department at the Lala Lajpat Rai hospital in Kanpur told The HT that while the exact cause is unclear, the blood transfusion may have happened during the “window period”.
When blood is donated, it is tested to ensure that it is safe for use such as for transfusions. However, if tests are conducted only a short time after a virus has infected the donor, they may not be able to detect the pathogen. This time span is called the window period.
District-level officials are trying to trace the root of infection under the Viral Hepatitis Control Programme. They will look for the place of infection, both for hepatitis and HIV, an official from the state’s National Health Mission said.
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