Mothers want to know what killed their children in MG – 11/09/2023 – Health

Deise Melo takes her daughter’s death certificate and reads the cause of death: multiple organ failure. “But we need to know what led to this. I need this answer,” he says.

The resident of the Morro Grande district, in São João del Rei (MG), is the mother of Kamila de Melo Silveira, 10, one of three children in the city who died suspected of being infected with the Streptococcus bacteria. The condition causes, for example, fever, vomiting and sore throat. However, there is still no official confirmation of what caused the deaths.

According to her mother, Kamila arrived at the UPA (Emergency Care Unit) with a fever and sore throat. Tests were carried out and one of the results showed dark urine.

Maria Luiza Moreira Cruz, 3, died on October 8 during a trip to visit her grandparents in Maranhão, although her symptoms began in the city of Minas Gerais.

The family returned to Minas Gerais to bury the girl and is back in the northeastern state, still without the courage to face home without Maria Luiza. “We went back to [Maranhão para] spending time without being at home”, says Danyelly Oliveira.

The three children were treated for the same symptoms. Maria Luiza’s mother says that when the family arrived in Maranhão, the child had a fever. “We took her to the hospital. She took medication and was released. The next day, we noticed a bruise in her groin. We went back to the hospital. The doctor looked at it and soon after she died”, says Danyelly.

The mother claims that doctors took blood, but the test was inconclusive. There was a change, but health professionals were unable to pinpoint the cause. The autopsy examination was carried out, but the results have not yet been delivered to the family.

The report contacted the IML (Legal Medical Institute) of Maranhão, via the state government, but received no response until the publication of the text.

The initial suspicion was that the deaths had been caused by the bacteria Streptococcus, but tests carried out by Funed (Fundação Ezequiel Dias) using organic samples from one of the children showed a negative result. The patient’s name was not provided.

Other tests, according to the MG State Department of Health, would be necessary to identify the cause of death.

The report also sent questions to the Civil Police of Minas Gerais, responsible for administering the state’s IML; to the government secretariat and São João del Rei City Hall, but there was no response from the bodies until the publication of this text.

The death of the children caused schools in nearby municipalities in São João del Rei to suspend classes. Activities resumed only after disinfection of educational institutions.