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Patna: Suspected
encephalitis, a brain infection, has killed 51 children in Bihar's Gaya district in the last seven weeks, with three more kids
succumbing to the disease, an official said Saturday.
"Three more children died on Friday," an official said. Most of
the children belong to Mahadalit families -- poorest of the poor.
According to district health officials, all children have died at
Anugrah Narain Medical College and Hospital (ANMCH) in Gaya, about
100 km from here.
The children reported high fever, followed by bouts of
unconsciousness and convulsions.
A.K. Ravi of the hospital said that till date, more than 220
children with suspected encephalitis were admitted for treatment.
"Most of the children were from rural areas of Gaya and
neighbouring districts," he said.
"Over two dozen children are still battling for life," he said.
A district administration official said that suspected
encephalitis hit Gaya in 2009, 2007 and 2005 and killed dozens of
children.
Two months ago, 55 children died in Muzaffarpur district but the
state government is yet to confirm these as encephalitis deaths.
Last month, union Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi
Azad informed the Rajya Sabha that clinical and epidemiological
data suggested that it was an outbreak of acute encephalitis
syndrome, resulting in 150 cases and 55 deaths, mostly among
children.
In a written reply, the minister said these cases were reported
from early June to mid-July from Muzaffarpur and its bordering
areas in Bihar.
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