Baby girl dies in Miyazaki following norovirus infection

Monday 20th December, 06:17 AM JST

MIYAZAKI —

An 11-month-old baby girl who was hospitalized at University of Miyazaki Hospital in Miyazaki Prefecture died Saturday after becoming ill with diarrhea following norovirus infection, the local government announced Sunday.

The hospital has detected the virus in two other patients but their conditions are improving, according to the Miyazaki city government.

According to the local government, the baby girl was hospitalized in June for chronic heart and lung disease and became ill on Friday, adding that the hospital detected the virus the same day.

Whether the virus was the direct cause of the girl’s death is not clear but its impact ‘‘cannot be denied,’’ a city official said.

At the hospital, a total of 13 people—seven patients and six others including employees—have become ill with diarrhea and vomiting since Dec 4, and the virus was detected in three patients, including the dead girl, according to the city government.

Meanwhile, norovirus is suspected in an outbreak of diarrhea and vomiting among 92 elementary school pupils and two school staff at two public schools in Miyagi Prefecture, the prefectural government said Sunday.

Seventy-six students and two staff at a school in Marumori, who had become ill by Friday, and 16 students in Minamisanriku, who had come down with symptoms by Thursday, are now recovering, it said.

The number of people suffering from gastroenteritis symptoms believed to be caused by norovirus has rapidly increased across the country, according to recent data compiled by the National Institute of Infectious Diseases.