Calcutta, July 30: A new virus is on the prowl and children’s hearts are its prime target.

According to doctors in the city, at least 10 per cent of children admitted at various hospitals are suffering from a particular viral disease, the symptoms of which are high fever ? over 105 degrees ? accompanied by headache, stomach ache, nausea and vomiting.

They also complain of a running nose and feel lethargic, the doctors added. “But what is new about this particular type of fever is fluid accumulation in the chest,” said Apurba Ghosh, the director of the Institute of Child Health.

“It is difficult to identify the virus since there are no tests. In many cases, doctors are recommending malaria tests initially and only when the result is negative, the patient is treated for viral infection,” said Chandan Roy, a paediatrician attached to the Bhagirathi Neotia Woman and Child Care Centre.

The School of Tropical Medicine has asked paediatricians to report all suspected cases to it for “proper research”.

Doctors said the virus strikes at the heart muscles, causing a condition known as viral myocarditis. It hampers blood flow, which results in fluid accumulation. “It is spreading like an epidemic and is a matter of serious concern,” Ghosh said.

According to doctors, children suffering from fever and with swollen eyes and bodies ? which indicate accumulation of fluids ? should be brought under observation.