6 children have died in Gaya hospital, cause could be encephalitis

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Bihar: Six children have died in Gaya at Anugrah Narayan Magadh Medical College since July 2 and cause could be encephalitis but it is yet to be established, a doctor has said. A total of 22 children have been admitted in the medical college since July 2 out of whom six died, Medical Superintendent Dr. VK Prasad stated.

"So far 22 patients have been admitted. It is being stated they might be suffering from encephalitis but it has not been confirmed yet. Reports are awaited. The patients are being treated. Six have died," he stated. The death toll due to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) mounted to 142 in Muzaffarpur on Monday, the district which is facing a severe outbreak of the vector-borne disease for the last one month. AES is a viral disease that causes flu-like symptoms such as high fever, vomiting and in extreme cases, brain dysfunction, seizure, and inflammation of heart and kidney.

In another incident, this year 154 children have lost their lives in Muzaffarpur to an encephalopathy of unknown origin, says a report of a doctors' forum on Friday which has blamed these deaths on "administrative failure and state's apathy".

In the preliminary report of Progressive Medicos and Scientists' Forum (PMSF), a few unfamiliar facts and causes have been listed regarding the influx of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES)-affected patients in Muzaffarpur this year even as various experts are trying to pinpoint the etiology behind this convulsive illness and related deaths.

With inputs from ANI

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