Patna, June 20: With the death toll of children reaching almost 150 in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district due to acute encephalitis syndrome (AES), politics on the issue have gained momentum. On one side, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar parried questions of media, while on the other side Rashtriya Janata Dal is all set to 'Gherao' the ruling dispensation.

According to the latest inputs, over 300 children ailing with Encephalitis were admitted to Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) and their condition is dismal despite the rising death toll. Similar is the case in Kejriwal hospital. RJD is closely monitoring the issue and will take up the matter with the Union government, stated party leader Manoj Jha. Encephalitis Deaths in Bihar: Nitish Kumar Parries Questions as Death Toll Continues to Rise

As the situation going out of hands and Muzaffarpur hogging national and international headlines for a medical emergency, both the state and central governments launched an all-out effort to control the Encephalitis outbreak and contain it.

Data from the World Health Organisation (WHO), World Bank and Unicef reveal shocking data which reveal that nutrition of child and mother in Muzaffarpur district is worse than most sub-African countries. Also, between 2016 and 2018, at least 228 cases of Japanese encephalitis (AES) were reported in Bihar alone, which had claimed 46 lives at that time.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 20, 2019 11:08 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).