Encephalitis toll rises to 60, Centre assures help

Patna: The state government is battling to control the rising cases of encephalitis and brain fever in Bihar which have claimed the lives of around 60 children in the last two weeks.

The worst hit has been Muzaffarpur district where the toll has gone up to 57.

Bihar health minister Mangal Pandey, who visited Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) in Muzaffarpur on Friday, asked the officials to launch an awareness campaign in the affected areas to prevent the spread of the disease.

Meanwhile, Union health minister Harsh Vardhan has also assured assistance to the state government to tackle rising cases of encephalitis in   Bihar. Experts claim that encephalitis is a viral infection which causes inflammation to the brain and its symptoms are convulsions, fever, and headache.

According to a report, the symptoms of encephalitis, which has affected the lives of more than 200 children in North Bihar, could be linked to a toxin which is mostly found in litchi fruit.

Muzaffarpur is the largest producer of litchi in the country and most of the cases have been reported from the district.

Sources also claim that the central team visiting Muzaffarpur and other adjoining districts to study the symptoms has found encephalopathy as one of the main causes of the disease.

“Efforts are being made to control the situation. The state government has also received suggestions from experts which will be implemented in all 12 districts where the cases of encephalitis have been high,” Bihar health minister Mangal Pandey said in Muzaffarpur.

On Tuesday, state health officials had claimed that a majority of the children who have died in two Muzaffarpur hospitals were the victims of hypoglycemia and not Acute Encephalitis syndrome. (AES).