Type of encephalitis, which affects children in Bihar is yet to be known

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Pakhi Hussain

23 June, 2011

The mystery disease, which has claimed 36 lives in Bihar has finally been diagnosed as encephalitis, But the type of disease is yet to be known. The central team of doctors is doing its best to save lives and stop the spread of the disease.

THE MYSTERY illness that took many a children’s life in Bihar’s Muzzafarpur district has finally been diagnosed as encephalitis after it claimed three more lives today. However, the type of encephalitis that is affecting these children is yet to be known as told by the central team of doctors working on the case. The disease took a total of 36 lives till date and doctors are dumfounded with the ambiguity of the disease, which became to be referred as ‘mystery illness.’

The virus claimed three more lives today itself. One child died in Srikrishna Medical College Hospital (SKMCH) while the other two died at Kejriwal Hospital. Till yesterday this fever took as many as 33 children’s lives in Bihar. The situation was becoming tense as the days were passing and this disease was claiming more lives, however, a central team was working on the case. They collected blood samples of the patients to ascertain the disease, which clinically appeared to be encephalitis. In a statement Dr I P Choudhary, member of the Central team said, “We can say the reason of the death of children is encephalitis but at this stage it is difficult to say what sort of encephalitis it is, whether it is viral one or Japanese.”

Encephalitis is the inflammation of the brain and the symptoms of the patients in Bihar are that they run a high fever, remain unconsciousness for short span of time and have convulsions that results in their deaths. According to reports around 5 years back a similar kind of situations happened in Bihar. A C Mishra, director of National Institute of Virology (NIV) told a reputed media about the same thing and he said, “"Around five years ago, a similar outbreak was reported from Bihar. We had collected samples during that time but the disease-causing agent could not be detected.” Not only that he also said that this ailment is quite common as there are other countries where, in 40 per cent cases, the agent remains unknown.