Five more babies died of fever, cough and breathing distress during the last 24 hours in two government hospitals Dr BC Roy Institute of Paediatric Science at Beliaghata and Raiganj Medical College Hospital (RMCH).

With this, crib death toll rose to 130 since January in the state, according to unofficial sources.

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Three babies, aged below two years each, on an average were brought to the institute of paediatric science as well BC Roy children hospital from Chinsurah in Hooghly and Bongaon and Thakurnagar areas in North 24-Parganas. The infant of Chinsurah succumbed to pneumonia-like symptoms at the hospital around 11.50 pm on Thursday.

The two other babies died around 3 am and 6 am on Friday respectively showing similar ailments.

At RMCH in North Dinajpur, deaths of two babies were also reported.

On the other hand, Bengal tops among the first five adenovirus-affected states in the country.

With an alarming adenovirus infection rate of 38 per cent during the past two months since January Bengal ranks first in the list and then Kerala comes, a study report conducted by laboratories under the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and National Institute of Communicable Disease (NICD) run by the health ministry revealed.

Dr Shanta Dutta, NICD director said, “Bengal tops the list with 38 per cent being adenovirus positive, followed by Tamil Nadu 18 per cent and Kerala at 12 per cent.

On the other hand, activists of BJP’s youth and women wings staged demonstration in front of the Swasthya Bhaban, health department headquarters at Salt Lake, on Friday to protest against the state government’s failure to prevent crib deaths.

Huge police arrangements were made around Swasthya Bhaban, anticipating violence during the protest. There was scuffle between policemen and agitating activists headed by Agnimitra Pal, BJP MLA, and other leaders like Dr Indranil Khan and Tanuja Chakraborty when the agitators tried to enter into the Swasthya Bhaban complex breaking barricades.

Tanuja allegedly sustained minor injury during the programme.