Children's Deaths Linked to Poultry?

The two victims were named by the authorities as as six-year-old Faisal Kabir, son of Israil Sheikh, and eight-year-old Masuma, daughter of Junmun Sheikh of Nikaripara village, according to Recombinomics.

The village is located in Barakpur union in Digholia upazila (sub-district) of Khulna district, which is in south-western Bangladesh.

Faisal died on 29 June and Masuma on 2 July. Both children were undergoing treatment at Khulna Medical College Hospital.

Digholia Upazila Health Officer Ataur Rahman explained that the disease is suspected as 'viral encephalitis' and it has created panic among the local people.

She said that people of the affected area had been advised not to eat any kind of meat, especially fowl.

According to the Recombinomics report, the advice to avoid eating poultry raises the concern that the cause of the deaths and illness could be the avian flu virus, H5N1.

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