The Director General of Health Services (DGHS) in the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has issued an advisory to all States and Union Territories on the rational use of cough syrups in the paediatric population, following recent reports suggesting that deaths among children in Madhya Pradesh were linked to cough syrups.

A multi-disciplinary team comprising experts from NCDC, NIV, ICMR, AIIMS Nagpur, and state health authorities is investigating all possible causes behind the reported cases.

Meanwhile, a joint team including representatives from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), National Institute of Virology (NIV), and Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has started its probe. They visited the site, and samples of various cough syrups have been collected.

So far, as per the test results, none of the samples contained Diethylene Glycol (DEG) or Ethylene Glycol (EG), contaminants that are known to cause serious kidney injury.

“The Madhya Pradesh State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) also tested three samples and confirmed the absence of DEG/EG,” the health ministry said in a statement.

Further blood/CSF samples have been tested by NIV Pune for common pathogens. One case has been found positive for Leptospirosis, it confirmed.

Samples of water, entomological vectors, and respiratory specimens are under further investigation by NEERI, NIV Pune, and other laboratories.

As regards the reports related to two deaths of children in Rajasthan due to cough syrup contamination, the health ministry said the product in question does not contain Propylene Glycol, which can be a potential source of contaminants, DEG/EG.

“Additionally, the product under reference is a dextromethorphan-based formulation, which is not recommended for paediatric use,” it added.