India: Bihar encephalitis cases

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Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/c...ow/5154893.cms

Govt doing nothing to check encephalitis.: RJD
TNN 24 October 2009, 05:11am IST

PATNA: The RJD on Friday accused the state government of being insensitive to the plight of the poor whose children were dying due
to encephalitis.

"Around 28 children have died in Gaya district alone due to encephalitis while 14 children are admitted to the hospital. Anti-encephalitis vaccine is not available at the hospital there. The civil surgeon told me that vaccine would be available only after Chhath," said RJD MLA Shakeel Ahmad Khan. He said that the first case of encephalitis in Gaya was detected on August 1. "Why have they not made the anti-encephalitis vaccine available till now?" he asked, urging chief minister Nitish Kumar to visit the Gaya hospital himself and take action against persons who failed to take preventive measures.

Khan said 130 children are reported to have died due to encephalitis in Haveli Kharagpur block of Munger district. There has been no DDT spray before the rainy season to check the spread of mosquitoes, he alleged.

"I find it surprising that while the government reacts strongly to diseases like swine flu, it has failed to react to encephalitis," Khan said.

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Re: India: Bihar encephalitis cases

Source: http://www.merinews.com/article/japa...15786991.shtml

Japanese encephalitis, silent killer in Bihar and UP
Japanese encephalitis has been taking heavy tolls in some areas in Bihar and Eastern UP. According to BBC, from 1974 to 2005 about 8000 people including many children have died due to this disease.
CJ: Om Prakash Yadav

Tue, Oct 27, 2009 16:27:12 IST

FOLLOWING MORE than two dozen deaths in Gaya district of the state of Bihar in a couple of weeks, the government has given a wake up call to the health officials in the state headquarters and asked them to launch a special anti-encephalitis vaccination drive on November 12, 2009, in affected areas in Gaya district.

In a couple of weeks, more than 100 patients have reached to Anugraha Naryan Medical College and Hospital (ANMCH) Gaya who showed signs of Japanese encephalitis. Although government denies, many NGOs working in the areas say that more than 25 patients mostly children of poor family have lost their lives due this silent killer disease.

Japanese encephalitis has been taking heavy tolls in some areas in Bihar and Eastern UP. According to BBC, from 1974 to 2005 about 8000 people including many children have died due to this disease. Gazipur, Kusinagar, Mirzapur, Gorakhpur in UP are badly affected by this disease and hundreds of people, mostly children die due to this it.

In Vashali and Muzaffarpur districts in Bihar, 39 people died in the month of August- September, 2009 itself which caused much furore in the government circle, but after some time again everything went as usual.

Similarly in Kharagpur sub-division of Munger district, more than 100 tribal died due this encephalitis and Union government had to send a medical team in the affected area to collect blood sample for making laboratory test in Delhi. What happened thereafter, hardly known to the people suffering from this epidemic.

Japanese encephalitis is caused because Culex tritaeniorhynchus, mosquito carries Japanese encephalitis virus into human being from wild pigs and birds. These mosquitoes grow in dark and damp places especially near hilly and plateau areas therefore most of the victims are tribal or poor people who live in dark and damp conditions.

Unfortunately, since the victims are mostly neglected and marginalized sections of society, media also pay little or no attention on it. Death of one patient due to H1N1 caused hue and cry across the nation with electronic channels giving running commentary on it, death of thousands of poor people went almost unnoticed and unlamented in the country. This paradox has to come to an end.

Hopefully the vaccination drive would help mitigate the woes of the suffering people and would give some respite to the people living in the affected areas.

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Re: India: Bihar encephalitis cases

Source: http://sify.com/news/encephalitis-ki...2oOejbijb.html

Encephalitis kills more than 30 children in Gaya
2009-10-28 14:50:00

Acute encephalitis that results in inflammation of the brain is on the rise in Bihar's Gaya district.

This deadly fever that causes acute and chronic changes in the brain tissue has killed more than 30 children in Gaya.

According to doctors, brain fever is a condition when a part of the brain becomes inflamed with symptoms of normal fever, which in turn tend to misguide the parents.

Scores of children have been admitted to city's A N Magadh Medical College.

Majority of children getting treated here are from marginalised sections whose habitation is close to animals such as pigs.

Relatives were not aware about brain fever that causes mental, emotional, and motor difficulties and deterioration in the patient.

"My child was suffering from high temperature. His hand and legs were shivering severely," said Sharada, a relation of a patient.

This disease is almost endemic to the region and immediate measures are required to restrain the spread of the infection any further.

Meanwhile, doctors at the A N Magadh Medical College said that they were trying everything to prevent the outbreak of this deadly fever.

"This is a brain-fever prone area. The fever is caused by viral infection. We are trying to control it. The government is also providing vaccine to prevent it," said Dr. Shiv Kumari, Principal, A N Magadh Medical College.

It may be noted that this deadly fever claimed 40 children last year. However, the disease took a heavier toll in 2007. (ANI)

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Re: India: Bihar encephalitis cases

Encephalitis kills 35 in India


Published: Nov. 2, 2009 at 10:11 AM

PATNA, India, Nov. 2 (UPI) -- A form of encephalitis transmitted by domestic pigs and wild birds has killed at least 35 people in Bihar, India, authorities said.

Another 145 residents of Bihar were being treated for Japanese encephalitis and 16 people remained hospitalized, Press Trust of India reported Monday.

The outbreak has been so severe the government plans to launch a vaccination drive in the Gaya, Aurangabad and Munger districts of Bihar, authorities told Press Trust.

Special medical teams have been sent to the region to assess the outbreak of the disease, which is transmitted to domestic pigs and wild birds by mosquitoes. The disease is most prevalent in Asia and the East.

http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2009/11/02/Encephalitis-kills-35-in-India/UPI-77271257174663/