The Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry on Thursday refuted media reports that claimed that AIIMS Delhi has detected seven bacterial cases linked to the recent surge in pneumonia cases in China and termed the news report “ill-informed” and “misleading”. In a statement, the Ministry said: “A recent media report in a national daily has claimed that AIIMS Delhi has detected seven bacterial cases linked to the recent surge in pneumonia cases in China. The news report is ill-informed and provides misleading information.” The Ministry clarified that these seven cases have no link whatsoever to the recent surge in respiratory infections in children reported from some parts of the world, including China. “The seven cases have been detected as a part of an ongoing study at AIIMS Delhi in the six month period (April to September 2023) and is no cause for worry,” it said.