Lychee Havoc Grips Bihar: Death Toll Due to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome in Muzaffarpur Rises to 69
Panic and fear has gripped the state as dozens of kids are still being treated in various hospitals. The state and Central governments are scrambling to contain the spread of the disease.
Patna, June 15: The death toll due to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) in Bihar's Muzaffarpur has increased to 69. According to a tweet by ANI, out of the 66 deaths, 58 have been reported at Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) while 11 have been reported at Kejriwal Hospital in Muzaffarpur. Panic and fear has gripped the state as dozens of kids are still being treated in various hospitals with AES-like symptoms. In the wake of the increasing numbers of deaths, the state and Central governments are scrambling to curb the spread of the disease. Deaths Due to Encephalitis on The Rise in Muzaffarpur, Over a Dozen Admitted to Hospitals.
Official figures put the number of reported AES cases this year at 66, up from 40 reported cases last year. Principal Secretary, Health, Sanjay Kumar informed that many children with symptoms akin to AES are still undergoing treatment in Muzaffarpur and few new patients were also admitted in the hospitals in last 24 hours. So far, over 145 cases of AES have been reported from 11 districts - Muzaffarpur, Vaishali, Samastipur, Sheohar, Sitamarhi, East Champaran, Patna, Gaya, Jehanabad, Bhojpur and Aurangabad.
Acute Encephalitis Syndrome is a severe case of encephalitis transmitted by mosquitoes. It is characterised by high fever and inflammation of the brain. According to a report by IANS, the Bihar government has directed concerned officials to control the situation. However, Bihar Health Minister Mangal Pandey categorically stated that most deaths were caused due to hypoglycaemia (loss of sugar in the blood) and only one child died of Japanese Encephalitis (JE).
The Health Department has also issued an advisory urging parents to prevent their children from playing under the sun when temperature is hovering between 42 to 43 degree Celsius.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 15, 2019 09:19 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).