Girl,4, thought to have died from mumps did not have the virus

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e-the-virus.html

Girl,4, thought to have died from mumps did not have the virus

Pollitt, a four-year-old girl from Manchester, who was thought to have

been Britain's first death connected to mumps for nine years did not have

the virus after all, officials have found.

By , Medical Editor

Published: 5:50PM BST 06 Aug 2009

had been diagnosed with mumps by a GP and had seemed to be recovering

from the disease when she suddenly deteriorated and hospital doctors failed

in their battle to save her.

It was thought to be the first death in a mumps patient for more than nine

years and over 65,000 cases.

However test results have now shown she did not have mumps. The exact cause

of death has not yet been established,

Parents Patsy and Danny, from Baguley, told of their horror at the death of

their 'bright, bubbly and beautiful' daughter.

was rushed to Wythenshawe Hospital where medics managed to revive her,

but she died hours later.

Patsy, 24, said: " She was so full of life, bright and bubbly and into

everything. She was a real tomboy and loved playing with her brothers and

our dog. We can't believe she has gone. "

Post-mortem tests have not so far established the cause of death and

toxicology tests are now being carried out. The results will not be

available for several weeks.

Patsy said: " She was a healthy young girl and had suffered no serious

illnesses. She woke up with a swollen face and the GP said it was mumps.

" She seemed to be OK, she was eating and even had started playing again.

" Then a week later she was a bit groggy and couldn't get to sleep so I

stayed downstairs on the sofa with her.

" Suddenly her lips went blue, she was all pale and was still breathing but a

few minutes later she stopped.

" It all happened so quickly. It was terrifying.

" In a way it was good that I had her sleeping with me because if not we

would never have known what had happened - at least we knew we had got her

medical care immediately. Everyone did everything they could to save her. "

had two brothers, Cameron, five, and , three, and was due to

start at Baguley Hall Primary in September. She was already a pupil at the

school's nursery.

Mumps is a virus which normally affects glands in the mouth and neck, making

them swell up and become painful.

It is passed on through saliva and the incubation period is between two and

three weeks.

In 30 per cent of cases there are no symptoms and complications include swelling

of the ovaries and testes and, although some believe it can cause sterility,

there is no evidence of this.