A Class VI girl in Periyakurumbatheru village, around eight km from Vaniyambadi town in Tirupattur, died of dengue fever on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday.
Health officials said the victim, R. Surveda, 11, was a class VI student enrolled at the government higher secondary school in the village.
She was being treated for high fever at a private hospital a few days ago. Following treatment, she was discharged and taken back home, where she was taken care of only by her mother as her father, S. Raja, had sustained injuries in a bull race he attended as a spectator on January 24.
However, her health worsened, and she died while being taken to a private hospital Vaniyambadi town, around 12.30 a.m. on Tuesday.
The death of the girl prompted the district administration to intensify preventive measures, including fogging and clearing of stagnated water in abandoned spots in the affected areas.
Panchayat officials said the village had about ten active dengue cases.
According to health officials, on an average, 10-15 dengue cases are reported in Tirupattur district every month. Internal migration, especially that of men returning from cities such as Bengaluru and Chennai, is considered to be one among the reasons.
“In this particular case, the victim was not admitted to any hospital, and there are no medical reports available on this. An inquiry is on,” T.R. Senthil, Deputy Director of Health Services (DDHS), Tirupatur, told The Hindu.
