Acute Encephalitis Syndrome in Bihar: Child Dies Due to AES in Muzaffarpur Hospital, Fourth Death Recorded This Year

Patna, May 9: Amid the reports of 5 people dying in Bihar due to coronavirus, another death of a child was confirmed in Muzaffarpur due to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES). Shrikrishna Medical College & Hospital (SKMCH) Superintendent Dr Sunil Kumar said that this is the fourth death due to AES in Bihar this year.

Informing about the latest development, SKMCH Superintendent Dr Sunil Kumar said, as quoted by news agency ANI, "A child died due to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) at Shrikrishna Medical College & Hospital (SKMCH), Muzaffarpur in Bihar today. A total of 21 children, suffering from AES, have been admitted to the hospital this year out of which 4 died." Acute Encephalitis Syndrome in Bihar: 1 Dead, Several Kids Affected by the Disease in Muzaffarpur.

Here's what Dr Sunil Kumar said:

Earlier in April, out of the six children admitted in the SKMCH, three were still under treatment, two have been discharged while one child had died. Bihar was the hotspot for the spread of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) in 2019. At this time, the outbreak of AES occurred in as many as 222 blocks of Muzaffarpur and the adjoining districts in Bihar.

In June last year, an outbreak of AES occurred in Muzaffarpur and the adjoining districts of the state resulting in deaths of more than 150 children. The deaths were mainly due to hypoglycemia. In subsequent months more cases and deaths were reported. The cause of outbreak was however, unclear. The first case of AES in Muzaffarpur district was recorded in 1995. There were 143 deaths in 2013, 355 in 2014, 11 in 2015, four in 2016, 11 in 2017 and 7 in 2018.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 09, 2020 07:13 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).