Encephalitis in Bihar: Death Toll on the Rise, 8 Advanced Life Support Ambulances Deployed to Transport AES Patients in Muzaffarpur

The number of children who have succumbed to suspected AES in Bihar's Muzaffarpur rose to 118 on Thursday. The National Human Rights Commission has issued notices to the Union Health Ministry and the state government over the increasing number of deaths.

Encephalitis in Bihar (Photo Credits: PTI)

New Delhi, June 21: In view of the rising number of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) cases in Bihar’s Muzaffapur, the Centre has deployed eight additional advanced life support ambulances (ALS) to help AES/JE patients in the affected districts. On Thursday, a central teams of 10 pediatricians and five paramedics were sent to treat the ailing kids in the state. Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan further added that sixteen senior district officials and medical personnel have been sent to the vulnerable blocks for monitoring and early identification of cases and ensuring daily reporting. Can Lychees Be Poisonous? Litchis Linked to Encephalitis Deaths in Muzaffarpur – How to Eat This Fruit Safely.

The number of children who have succumbed to suspected AES in Bihar's Muzaffarpur rose to 118 on Thursday. The National Human Rights Commission has issued notices to the Union Health Ministry and the state government over the increasing number of deaths. Vardhan said that the District Collector (DC) has now got involved and is personally taking responsibility, adding that the State has been given instructions to switch to daily surveillance and monitoring for detecting early warning signs of the disease.  All About the Symptoms, Causes, Treatment and Prevention of Encephalitis.

All the ANMs and ASHAs have been directed to visit every house in Bihar for raising awareness about AES/JE by distributing pamphlets and brochures. Awareness is also being created through other measures such as miking and inter-personal communication. Also, an ICMR team of experts has been deployed at the Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) hospital for making the virology lab operational at the earliest.

Here's the Video:

The multi-disciplinary team will systematically collect clinical, nutritional and epidemiological information from AES patients hospitalized since 18 May 2019. Blood, urine and CSF samples will be collected from these patients to rule out infectious aetiology. The team will also conduct case-control study (by taking household/village controls) to reconfirm the role of missing meals and litchi consumption (including the quantity).

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 21, 2019 11:03 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).

Share Now

Share Now