Bihar: Unidentified disease kills 56 children - undetermined encephalitis - samples negative for JE, Nipah and Chandipura

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Bihar: Mysterious disease kills 36 children - undetermined encephalitis suspected

Re: Bihar: Mysterious disease kills 36 children - undetermined encephalitis suspected

Mystery fever diagnosed as encephalitis, toll climbs to 36

Agencies
Posted: Jun 23, 2011 at 1253 hrs IST

Muzaffarpur The mystery fever that has gripped children in Bihar's Muzzafarpur district has been diagnosed as encephalitis even as the virus claimed three more lives, taking the toll to 36.
Two children died at Kejriwal Hospital, while another died at Srikrishna Medical College Hospital (SKMCH) here, official sources said.

Thirty-three children had died due to the fever in Muzaffarpur district , the sources said. A Central team, which had collected blood samples of the patients to ascertain the cause of the deaths, said that it was clinically diagnosed that the children were suffering from encephalitis.

?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?, Dr I P Choudhary, member of the Central team, told reporters.

Another member Dr B P Tambley of ICMI New Delhi also subscribed to Dr Choudhary's view and said it has been clinically established as cases of encephalitis caused by Culex mosquito which was found in the surroundings.

Eighteen children were still undergoing treatment at the two hospitals, they said.

A seven-member Central team from National Institute of Virology, Pune and ICMI, New Delhi, comprising experts including Union Health Ministry Joint Director S K Jain, B R Thappa and I P Choudhary visited the SKMCH and took the blood samples of children affected by the disease.

Jain said the blood samples would be sent to specialised virology labs in Pune and New Delhi and the examination report would be made available within a fortnight.

Authorities have been advised by the Central team to shift the children afflicted with the disease to the air-conditioned ward of the hospital.

The Central team also visited the affected villages and enquired about the food habits of the affected children from their guardians besides inspecting the surroundings.

Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad sent the Central team of medical experts from Pune and New Delhi to Muzaffarpur following request from Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to examine the patients and work out ways to prevent the spread of unknown fever.
http://www.expressindia.com/latest-...ed-as-encephalitis--toll-climbs-to-36/807610/

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Bihar: Mysterious disease kills 36 children - undetermined encephalitis suspected

Re: Bihar: Mysterious disease kills 36 children - undetermined encephalitis suspected

Bihar?s mystery disease identified as toll rises to 41



Patna, June 23 (IANS) The mystery disease that has rocked Bihar and killed six more children by Thursday morning, has at last been identified. It is encephalitis, an official Thursday said. The latest deaths have pushed the toll in the state to 41 children in the past ten days.

?It is not a mysterious disease, it is encephalitis that killed children,? said Dr I.P. Choudhary, a member of the central medical team from New Delhi.

But state Health Minister Ashwani Kumar Choubey said: ?It was not proper to term it as encephalitis.?

?Only the type of encephalitis has to be identified now. It will take some more time till clinical test results are available,? Choudhary told IANS on phone from Muzaffarpur.

According to a district health official, in the last the 24 hours, six more children have died of this disease, taking the deaths in the state to 41 by Thursday morning.

?Three children died in Muzaffarpur?s hospitals Thursday morning and two died late Wednesday and one died in a village,? a district health official said.

...

http://www.inewsone.com/2011/06/23/bihars-mystery-disease-identified-as-toll-rises-to-41/58253

 

[alert]

Re: Bihar: Mysterious disease kills 36 children - undetermined encephalitis suspected

Re: Bihar: Mysterious disease kills 36 children - undetermined encephalitis suspected

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...lls-40-in-Muzaffarpur/articleshow/8964196.cms

Encephalitis outbreak kills 40 kids in Muzaffarpur
PATNA: A deadly fever believed to be caused by a type of encephalitis has killed as many as 40 children in Muzaffarpur district of Bihar, health experts said on Thursday.

The children died during the past week after experiencing high fevers followed by convulsions and unconsciousness, prompting the government to rush medical teams to the state.

"The disease that killed the children is encephalitis, but it is not clear what type of virus infected them," said B.B. Tandle, a physician at National Institute of Virology told this news agency.

State health minister Ashwani Kumar Choubey said that experts were in the process of identifying the exact cause of the deaths.

"It is not officially confirmed whether it is encephalitis or another unknown disease," he said. Another member of the medical team, I P Choudhary, said that a lack of awareness about hygiene and nutrition among villagers were the reasons for the rapid spread of the disease. "Most of the children who contracted the disease are anaemic," he said.

According to a district health official, medical experts found sand fly and culex mosquito in one of the villages hit by the disease during their inspection.

The region has in the past been ravaged by Japanese encephalitis, which is transmitted by mosquitoes from pigs to humans. It causes brain inflammation and can lead to permanent brain damage, while symptoms include headaches, seizures and fever.

 

[alert]

Re: Bihar: Mysterious disease kills 36 children - undetermined encephalitis

Re: Bihar: Mysterious disease kills 36 children - undetermined encephalitis

It is not clear what is meant here. Litchi fruit could attract the mosquitos that spread JE, the flies that spread Chandipura virus, or the bats that spread Nipah.

Litchi itself is not toxic as it is eaten all over the world, but perhaps some of the fruit could be contaminated with something, or perhaps some other toxic fruit is being mistaken for or eaten with litchi?

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/story/bihar-doctors-fear-litchis-behind-child-deaths/1/142457.html

Bihar doctors fear litchis could be behind mounting child deaths

Its succulent white flesh dissolves as soon as you put it into the mouth, leaving behind a sweet taste that can make you feel like heaven. But behind the delicate pulp of the luscious litchis could be lurking death, fear people living in Bihar.

The state's Muzaffarpur district, famous for its litchis, is under the curse of a mystery disease for the past six years. The disease, which strikes towards the end of the litchi season, has now sparked fears that the fruit could be responsible for the outbreak after 37 children died in the past eight days.

The majority of the victims - who have had symptoms similar to the dreaded Japanese encephalitis - belong to those blocks which are famous for litchis.

It has now fuelled speculation among the locals as well as a section of the doctors whether the litchis are in any way linked to the outbreak of the disease.

Former Union minister and eminent physician Dr C. P. Thakur said the disease visited Muzaffarpur ever year towards the end of the litchi season.

He said a white germ is found in litchis and "it is a case for research if the disease is related to it".

An expert in kalaazar, Thakur visited hospitals in Muzaffarpur along with Bihar health minister Ashwini Choube to take stock of the situation arising out of the rapid spread of the mystery disease in the district.

The doctors, however, are not unanimous about the nature of the disease. While some believe it to be a clear- cut case of Japanese encephalitis, others dismiss it as a case of heat stroke. But nobody seems to have any clue why the disease is striking only children.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar said this was the right time to look into the reasons behind the outbreak of this disease.

"If a thorough investigation is carried out now, it will throw light on this mystery disease and help find ways for the right treatment and prevention," Nitish said.

Following his return from a week-long China tour, Nitish had talked to Union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, requesting him to send a team of experts to ascertain the reason behind the outbreak of the disease.

A seven-member team from the National Institute of Virology, Pune, and the Indian Council of Medical Research ( ICMR), New Delhi, along with health ministry officials on Wednesday visited the S. K. Memorial Medical College Hospital ( SKMMCH) and Kejriwal Matrisadan, a privately- run hospital in the city, where the majority of the affected children had been admitted.

The team, which has prima facie found symptoms of encephalitis in the patients, collected their blood samples which would be sent to specialised laboratories in Pune and New Delhi. Officials said the reports would be made available within a fortnight.

Dr I. P. Choudhary, who was part of the team of experts, said the disease was encephalitis but its exact nature would be known once the report is out. The team would visit the affected villages on Thursday.

Three more children died from the disease in Muzaffarpur on Wednesday. Some new cases have also been reported from East Champaran and Buxar districts.

The affected children suffer from fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, loss of consciousness and convulsions leading to death.

Health department sources said the disease had first struck Muzaffarpur in 1985 and then again in 1995. But it has been affecting the children of the area every year since 2006. The disease had killed 109 children in 2009.

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Bihar: Mysterious disease kills 36 children - undetermined encephalitis

Re: Bihar: Mysterious disease kills 36 children - undetermined encephalitis

Mystery fever diagnosed as encephalitis, toll climbs to 38
Press Trust Of India
Muzaffarpur, June 23, 2011
First Published: 18:52 IST(23/6/2011)
Last Updated: 18:53 IST(23/6/2011)

The mystery fever that has gripped children in Bihar's Muzzafarpur district has been diagnosed as encephalitis even as the virus claimed five more lives, taking the toll to 38 today. Four more children died at Kejriwal hospital, while another died at Srikrishna Medical College Hospital (SKMCH) here , official sources said.

Thirty-three children had died due to the fever in Muzaffarpur district till yesterday, the sources said. A central team, which had collected blood samples of the patients to ascertain the cause of the death, said that it was clinically diagnosed that the children were suffering from encephalitis.

"We can say the reason for 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", Dr I P Choudhary, member of the central team, told reporters.

Another member, Dr B P Tambley of ICMI New Delhi, said it had been clinically established as cases of encephalitis caused by Culex mosquito which was found in the surroundings. Eighteen children were still undergoing treatment at the two hospitals, they said.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Myste...alitis-toll-climbs-to-38/Article1-712811.aspx

 

[alert]

Re: Bihar: Mysterious disease kills 40 children - undetermined encephalitis

Re: Bihar: Mysterious disease kills 40 children - undetermined encephalitis

http://www.promedmail.org/pls/apex/..._BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_PUB_MAIL_ID:1000,89049

Archive Number 20110623.1920
Published Date 23-JUN-2011
Subject PRO/EDR> Japanese encephalitis - India: (BH) (02) susp, RFI

JAPANESE ENCEPHALITIS - INDIA (02): (BIHAR) SUSPECTED, REQUEST FOR
INFORMATION
******************************************************************************
A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>

Date: Wed 22 Jun 2011
Source: Rediff News [edited]
<http://www.rediff.com/news/report/suspected-encephalitis-kills-36-children-in-bihar/20110622.htm>


Suspected mosquitoborne encephalitis has killed 36 children in Bihar
in the past week, but the state government is yet to identify the
disease and its health officials are still guessing to diagnose it. 20
children died at Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital in
Muzaffarpur followed by 10 in Kejriwal Hospital in Muzaffarpur. One
died at a private clinic in Motihari and 2 at Patna Medical College
and Hospital in Patna. Besides, 4 children died in different villages
in Muzaffarpur. "10 children died in last 48 hours at SKMCH and
Kejriwal hospitals in Muzaffarpur. With this, the death toll of
children rose to 36," a health official said.

After 3 dozen children died, mostly belonging to poorest families in
Muzaffarpur, Motihari, Gopalganj, and Patna districts, state
government decided to identify the villages affected and carry out
intensive spraying of DDT to kill mosquitoes, which are responsible
for the suspected disease. Bihar health minister Ashwani Kumar Choubey
told rediff.com in Patna on Wednesday [22 Jun 2011] that health
officials have been directed to start spraying DDT in villages. "All
such villages from where children died due to mysterious disease and
children have been admitted in hospitals will be identified to spray
DDT," Choubey said.

It must be recalled that it was Choubey who described heat-stroke as
the cause of the deaths 4 days ago. To date the state government has
not confirmed officially the real cause behind these deaths. Doctors
in Muzaffarpur treating children in different hospitals suggest that
the symptoms are similar to encephalitis.

Even state BJP [Bharatiya Janata Party] president Dr CP Thakur, a
renowned kala azar [visceral leishmaniasis] expert, disclosed that
test result of one of the 4 blood samples conducted by Patna-based
Rajendra Memorial Research Institute, has confirmed [Japanese]
encephalitis. But principal health secretary Amarjeet Sinha said that
disease was not diagnosed and test samples of blood would be sent to
the National Institute of Virology in Pune for confirmation. "Even
though the disease had not been diagnosed, the government was
providing symptomatic treatment to the patients," Sinha said.

Choubey has made it clear that state government is serious to handle
the situation. "We will bear expenses of all patients undergoing
treatment and teams of doctors will visit villages to provide
immunisation and proper treatment," he said.

Nearly 40 children still suffering from high fever are being treated
at the SKMCH and other hospitals including private clinics in
Muzaffarpur. "Some new patients complaining of high fever, severe
headache, vomiting were admitted to the hospital in the last 24
hours," a staff of SKMCH said. Dr AK Singh, civil surgeon,
Muzaffarpur, denied that encephalitis had claimed the lives of the
children, but admitted that the symptoms were similar. "Medical
authorities have collected samples which have been sent for tests in
virology laboratories at Pune and Kolkata. The medical reports were
still awaited," Singh said.

2 expert teams -- one from Pune-based National Institute of Virology
and another from Union health ministry in New Delhi -- visited SKMCH
and Kejriwal hospital in Muzaffarpur on Tuesday and Wednesday [21 and
22 Jun 2011]. The team members will visit villages hit by the disease
to identify the disease that had killed several children in last one
week. "The expert would also collect samples of local animals to
identify the cause of the disease for which the department of forest
has been approached," Sinha said.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar earlier directed health officials
to take preventive measures to check spread of the unknown disease.
Kumar had also requested Union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad to
immediately send a central team to Bihar to find out the reasons
behind the disease outbreak.

[byline: MI Khan]

--
communicated by:
HealthMap Alerts via ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>

[The number of deaths in this outbreak have increased from 26
children on 20 Jun 2011 to 36 fatalities and an additional 40
undergoing treatment in the current report.

The reports of the diagnosis of these cases are still not clear. The
previous report stated that JE virus infection was suspected, but
later in that same report stated that, "the disease has now been
identified as Japanese encephalitis" (see ProMED-mail archive no
20110621.1896). The identification of JE virus as the etiological
agent involved in these cases is presumably the result of laboratory
tests on the sera of 4 patients submitted to the laboratory previously
(see ProMED-mail archive no 20110619.1879).

The 23 Jun 2011 edition of The Times of India
(<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/Its-encephalitis-confirms-central-team/articleshow/8956481.cms>)
quotes the senior most member of the 3-member central team from Union
health ministry and associate professor in pediatrics department of
Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi, Dr IP Chaudharatna, investigating the
outbreak, saying, "It is definitely encephalitis. Only the type of the
virus of the disease is to be identified now."

Apparently, the earlier diagnosis of heat exhaustion has been
discarded. One of the physicians in the current report indicated that
the cases are not encephalitis, yet DDT spraying is being conducted,
implicating a mosquito-borne disease, despite the absence of a
diagnosis. Because DDT is not a target-specific insecticide, is a
stable, bioaccumulative organochlorine compound with potential adverse
environmental effects, the wisdom of its use in area application in
the absence of a diagnosis is questionable. If this is a Japanese
encephalitis outbreak, the _Culex_ mosquito vectors are almost
certainly widespread and likely to be abundant, hence difficult to
control with ground spraying of insecticides.

The current report mentions that physicians will be visiting villages
and vaccinating people, but does not mention which vaccines will be
applied (perhaps Japanese encephalitis virus vaccines?). ProMED-mail
would appreciate receiving more information about the results of the
laboratory tests and the establishment of a definitive diagnosis in
patients and presence of virus in the putative mosquito vectors.

A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Muzaffarpur, Bihar, India
can be accessed at <http://healthmap.org/r/01v2>. - Mod.TY]

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Bihar: Mysterious disease kills 40 children - undetermined encephalitis

Re: Bihar: Mysterious disease kills 40 children - undetermined encephalitis

I seem to remember one of the early reports also mentioned two adult fatalities, but I can't find it now.


One clue in Bihar mystery deaths: all kids Santosh Singh

Posted: Fri Jun 24 2011, 02:05 hrs
Muzaffarpur:

Priti, Nirjala, Sahil and Sonu, all three years old, Ajit (6), Anshu (4), Amarjit (8) and Shivani, just one and a half, were among the 15 children who have died of suspected encephalitis at Muzaffarpur?s K D Kejriwal Maternity Hospital (KDKMH) this month.


All were from desperately poor families who live in suburban slum and rural areas of Muzaffarpur, mostly in the catchment area of the Gandak. All the children were brought to the hospital with fever and convulsions, drifting to unconsciousness, and died within hours.


Since June 1, 36 children have succumbed to the mystery disease that has been stalking Bihar?s Tirhut Range, comprising the districts of Muzaffarpur, Sheohar, Sitamarhi and East Champaran. Two deaths have occurred over the past 24 hours.


Local people call the convulsions ?chimki?, and say the disease has been striking the area every year since 1995. Around 50 children died last year, they say.

On Thursday, 23 children between the ages of two and eight were admitted in KDKMH with symptoms of the disease ? including six who were brought to the hospital today. The hospital has admitted 58 patients with these symptoms since June 11, of which 15 have died.


Hospital doctors, advised by experts from Delhi and Pune?s National Institute of Virology (NIV) were treating the children. The 200-bed hospital, run by a charitable trust, has made the treatment free.


NIV and Rajendra Memorial Research Institute, Patna, have each so far collected 10 samples of blood. Four of the NIV samples showed negative for Japanese encephalitis; one sample at RMRI tested positive. The NIV team advised anti-viral antibiotics and anti-convulsion treatment. All KDKMH patients had cerebral oedema, suggesting viral encephalitis.


All patients are from BPL families ? OBCs, SCs and STs living in Minapur, Kanti, Bochaha, Sakra, Ahiyapur, Musahari, Maripur, Kudni, Akharaghat, Saraiya, Karja, Sakra and Mehasi areas of rural Muzaffarpur. Their parents are rickshaw-pullers, carpenters, electricians or daily-wage labourers.


Ashok Kumar, who has a small shop in Minapur, said his two-year-old daughter Babli, who was the first patient to be admitted to the hospital on June 11, was better but her hands were still stiff. ?So many children have died before my eyes; I can only pray to God for her,? Kumar said.


Kumar said he did not know that a Japanese encephalitis vaccine has been given to children between the ages of one and 15 for free at public health centres under a central government scheme since September 2010.


Satendra Prasad, who has come to KDKMH from Madhuban in East Champaran, said, ?I could not trust any hospital in Motihari for my daughter. I hope that I can take her back home alive.?


About 10 km from the hospital, at village in the Musahari block, nearly-naked, small children run around small, thatched-roof dwellings. Sukhdev Sahni, a daily-wager at the Musahari Farm village, said no one in the village has a mosquito net. Asked if government officials came to spray insecticide in the village, he said, ?No one has come in my 50-year life.?


Encephalitis is spread by mosquitoes, and children with low immunity levels, living in close proximity to animals, are most at risk.


Muzaffarpur District Immunization Officer Dr Shiv Shankar told The Indian Express that only about 5,000 children could be immunized against Japanese encephalitis in April, against the target of 11,600 children. ?An immunisation camp was organised in December 2007, covering over 10 lakh children, but there has been no camp since,? he said.


http://www.indianexpress.com/news/one-clue-in-bihar-mystery-deaths-all-kids-bpl/807984/0

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Bihar: Mysterious disease kills 40 children - undetermined encephalitis

Re: Bihar: Mysterious disease kills 40 children - undetermined encephalitis

Here it is;

Mystery disease kills dozens of Indian children
22 Jun 2011 16:02 | Source: alertnet

Children play on top of a wall under the overhead high voltage electric cables during the evening in the old quarters of Delhi June 19, 2011. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi
PATNA, India (AlertNet) - A "mystery disease" has swept across parts of eastern India, killing at least 24 children and two adults over the past 10 days, a government official said on Wednesday.

Doctors treating patients in the state of Bihar have not yet been able to identify the disease, authorities said, but the illness shows symptoms similar to the encephalitis virus.

"As per our information, 24 children have died of the mystery disease at government hospitals, but I can’t say how many have died at home," Bihar’s Health Secretary Amarjeet Sinha told AlertNet. "More than 40 children are still undergoing treatment at various hospitals in the state."

This is not the first time the illness has been reported, said Sinha, adding that there have been cases around May and June every year over the last few years. However, the number of deaths was much higher this year, he said.

Viral encephalitis is inflammation of the brain and symptoms include high fever, headache, sensitivity to light, a stiff neck and back, vomiting, confusion and, in severe cases, seizures, paralysis and coma, according to the World Health Organization.

Infants and the elderly are particularly at risk from the virus most commonly transmitted through insect bites.

Officials said the children who died – aged between two and eight years old across five districts of northern Bihar – had displayed high fever and bouts of unconsciousness as well as convulsions.

Local television pictures showed children lying restlessly on hospital beds and on the ground, and quoted parents complaining about the delayed response from local authorities.

"The preliminary investigation by local health experts has found that it’s not encephalitis," said Sinha, adding that a more thorough investigation was being conducted with the help of medical teams from India's National Institute of Virology.

(Editing by Nita Bhalla)

http://m.trust.org/alertnet/news/mystery-disease-kills-dozens-of-indian-children/

 

[alert]

Re: Bihar: Mysterious disease kills 40 children - undetermined encephalitis

Re: Bihar: Mysterious disease kills 40 children - undetermined encephalitis

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2129817.ece


Muzaffarpur, June 24, 2011 ?Mystery disease' punches holes in Bihar's health scheme
Shoumojit Banerjee
Share ? print ? T+ State government had recently launched an ambitious Health Card programme

Kejriwal Matri Sadan, sited in the heart of Bihar's Muzaffarpur district, is exploding with fear, panic and chaos over a ?mystery' disease ? a disease that has claimed the lives 36 children in less than two weeks.

Screaming infants, convulsing in terrible pain, present a stark contrast to the smug, matter-of-fact versions of health officials in Patna.

With the death toll climbing, a Central team of doctors on Thursday finally termed the disease encephalitis, even as they awaited test results to confirm whether it was indeed Japanese encephalitis (JE) or caused by some other virus.

While the ?mystery disease' has been claiming scores of lives annually across Bihar's Tirhut division, ground investigations by The Hindu in Muzaffarpur's afflicted blocks reveal a disturbing picture of neglect and apathy by the State government ? one which recently launched, with much fanfare, an ambitious Health Card programme designed to ensure the well-being of children up to 14 years.

?It is not a mystery disease. One must presume it is Japanese encephalitis unless proven otherwise,? says, Dr. Arun Shah, a private practitioner in Muzaffarpur.

In 2006, the Government of India, in collaboration with the Programme for Appropriate Technology [in Health] (PATH) and the ChengDu Institute of Biological products in Sichuan, China, assented to the phased introduction of the JE vaccine in 101 risk areas of the country.

This was just after more than 1,500 people were killed in a massive JE outbreak in parts of Uttar Pradesh.

Despite the JE vaccine being introduced in Bihar since 2007, the drive does not seem to have much effect with significant lacunae in the State's awareness campaign.

Despite the JE vaccine being part of routine immunisation process for infants between 16-24 months, not one of the 20-odd children now admitted to the KMS had ever been given a preventive dose of the JE vaccine.

?We have not seen any block or district authorities turn up in the last decade... neither for vaccination, nor for any other immunisation purpose,? said Sukhdev Saini, a wage-labourer in Mushahari block, one of the most afflicted areas in the district.

The same is the case with Kalam, a weaver from Harpur village, who does not understand what a JE vaccine shot means.

The Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) has had a mere three cases in the last 24 hours, and the district Sadar hospital had none. The reason is that parents are not willing to admit their children to government hospitals.

?We have no alternative but to offer entirely supportive and symptomatic treatment to the suffering children,? said Dr. Rajeev Kumar, head paediatrician, KMS.

Ever since the clinic has announced free treatment, it has been flooded by desperate people carrying their afflicted children. Not one child has been immunised with the JE vaccine.

As against the target of 11,600 babies, the district's achievement has been a mere 5,000 in April and May, i.e. a bare coverage of 40 per cent. The figure was about the same for 2010, where 32,000 babies were said to have been immunised.

Dr. Shiv Shankar, district Immunisation Officer, puts it down to ?lack of awareness among the populace,? besides other factors. According to him, the Sadar hospital had 19,947 vials of the JE vaccine lying in its refrigerated stock till date, with no supply taking place in 2009.

According to government records, more than 50 children succumbed to encephalitis last year, with 21 deaths reported from the KMS alone during a 19-day period in June.

Doctors also point out the quotidian process of sending blood samples and cerebro spinalfluid (CSF) to the National Institute of Virology, Pune, without any conclusive result for the last several years.

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Bihar: Mysterious disease kills 40 children - undetermined encephalitis

Re: Bihar: Mysterious disease kills 40 children - undetermined encephalitis

24/06/2011
Encephalitis toll rises to 40 in Bihar

Muzaffarpur, Jun 24 (PTI) Two more children today died of encephalitis here, taking the fever toll to 40 in Bihar''s Muzzafarpur district, officials said today.
Two more children died of encephalitis at Kejriwal hospital here, they said.
...

Eighteen more children are undergoing treatment for the fever at two hospitals in the district, they said.
http://news.in.msn.com/national/article.aspx?cp-documentid=5232632

 

[alert]

Re: Bihar: Mysterious disease kills 40 children - undetermined encephalitis

Re: Bihar: Mysterious disease kills 40 children - undetermined encephalitis

http://mangalorean.com/news.php?newstype=local&newsid=247154

Patna, June 24 (IANS) Health experts, including a team of the World Health Organisation (WHO), are visiting villages in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district to investigate the cause of mystery disease that has killed 42 children, an official said Friday.

WHO experts and others from National Institute of Virology, Pune and a central medical team from New Delhi were visiting villages and meeting local residents to collect information about the disease, a health official told IANS on telephone.

The WHO team arrived Thursday and visited some villages, he said.

The mystery disease was identified as encephalitis by health experts Thursday. But the Bihar government is yet to officially confirm it.

"It is not a mystery disease, it is encephalitis that killed children," said I.P. Choudhary, a member of the central medical team from New Delhi.

But state Health Minister Ashwani Kumar Choubey said: "It was not proper to term it as encephalitis."

All the children died after they got high fever followed by convulsions and unconsciousness. Locals have repeatedly been terming the disease as 'chamki ki bimari', saying the symptoms were similar to those of encephalitis, which causes inflammation of the brain.

Over three dozen children are undergoing treatment in various hospitals in Muzaffarpur, Motihari and Patna.

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Bihar: Mysterious disease kills 40 children - undetermined encephalitis

Re: Bihar: Mysterious disease kills 40 children - undetermined encephalitis

Bihar mystery disease kills 4 more, toll 40
Posted: Sat Jun 25 2011, 00:54 hrs
Patna:

The number of deaths in Bihar due to suspected encephalitis touched 40 with four more children falling prey to the disease in the past 24 hours in Muzaffarpur?s KD Kejriwal Maternity Hospital (KDKMH). Over a dozen children out of 45 undergoing treatment at hospitals in Muzaffarpur and Patna are stated to be critical.


Teams of doctors from New Delhi and NIV, Pune, on Friday collected over a dozen more blood and cerebral spinal fluid samples. Meanwhile, doctors have been offering a mix of anti-viral, antibiotics and anti-convulsion treatment. Test reports of 20 samples are awaited from NIV and Rajendra Memorial Research Institute, Patna.



KDKMH is treating the maximum number of patients ? 24 ? with the suspected disease. Besides, five children have been referred to Patna Medical College and Hospital.



Dr Rajiv Kumar of KDKMH said, ?As long as mercury continues to shoot up, we will continue to get patients with the suspected disease.?



http://www.indianexpress.com/news/bihar-mystery-disease-kills-4-more-toll-40/808405/

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Bihar: Mysterious disease kills 40 children - undetermined encephalitis

Re: Bihar: Mysterious disease kills 40 children - undetermined encephalitis

Hindi to English translation

Wards of hospitals full, four-and-death Jun 24, 02:39 am -

summer climb illness began to grow again, 13 new patients admitted Villages did not stop the disease. On Thursday to treat 13 children suffering from the disease reached the district headquarters. Eight children have been enrolled in two-and five Skemsiac. The two hospitals have special wards were full. Thursday Ilajrt in two-three children were killed.उधर बंदर से मिली जानकारी के मुताबिक पीरापुर गांव निवासी अशोक राम के छह वर्षीय पुत्र रौशन कुमार की मौत वहां इलाज के लिए ले आते समय होने से इस बीमारी से मृतकों की तादाद बढ़कर 35 हो गई है। (Untranslateable?) In total 22 and 8 patients in a two Skemsiac is being treated.

The cause of the disease to find out the preferred physician, Dr. Krishna Pandey Patna Rajendra Mekil Research Center, Dr. Diwakar Dinesh Singh, Naresh Kumar Sinha lab technician has been with the camp. Team members in two-and Skemsiac patients' blood and serum sample collection and the recent move of house in villages and patients.

The doctors had expressed hope that the monsoon outbreak of disease will decline due to falling temperatures, harsh weather, but the hope is broken. Preferred baby syndrome expert Dr. Brrajmohn, Dr. Arun Shah, Dr. Rajiv Kumar, Dr BN Tiwari has urged them to keep their surroundings clean. Feed plenty of water and prevent children from being in the sun.


http://in.jagran.yahoo.com/news/local/bihar/4_4_7913230.html

 

[Treyfish]

Re: Bihar: Mysterious disease kills 40 children - undetermined encephalitis

Re: Bihar: Mysterious disease kills 40 children - undetermined encephalitis

:tiphat:उधर बंदर से मिली जानकारी के मुताबिक पीरापुर गांव निवासी अशोक राम के छह वर्षीय पुत्र रौशन कुमार की मौत वहां इलाज के लिए ले आते समय होने से इस बीमारी से मृतकों की तादाद बढ़कर 35 हो गई है।

On the other hand monkey पीरापुर according to information received from the village resident Ram Ashok Kumar's death six year old son flatter there for treatment to take time to come from this disease has increased number of dead has been 35.

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Bihar: Mysterious disease kills 40 children - undetermined encephalitis

Re: Bihar: Mysterious disease kills 40 children - undetermined encephalitis

:tiphat: Thanks!

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Bihar: Mysterious disease kills 40 children - undetermined encephalitis

Re: Bihar: Mysterious disease kills 40 children - undetermined encephalitis

Encephalitis kills 42 kids in Bihar
Press Trust Of India
Muzaffarpur, June 25, 2011First Published: 13:47 IST(25/6/2011)
Last Updated: 13:49 IST(25/6/2011)

Two more children died of encephalitis, taking the toll in the fever to 42 in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district on Saturday. One child died of encephalitis at Srikrishna Medical College Hospital and another child died of the same disease at Kejriwal hospital here, officials said. A Central team, which had collected blood samples of the patients to ascertain the cause of the death on Thursday, had said the children were suffering from encephalitis.

Fifteen more children are undergoing treatment for the fever at two hospitals in the district, they said
http://www.hindustantimes.com/Encephalitis-kills-42-kids-in-Bihar/Article1-713592.aspx

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Bihar: Mysterious disease kills 42 children - undetermined encephalitis

Re: Bihar: Mysterious disease kills 42 children - undetermined encephalitis

Bihar hospital authorities demanding money for release of bodies of encephalitis victims

Patna,(BiharTimes): Dozens of parents, who lost their children to encephalitis, in Muzaffarpur district of Bihar have become victim of cruel joke being played by the employees of health department and Shri Krishna Medical College and Hospital.
Media reports say that these employees are demanding money for the release of the dead bodies of the 50-odd children, who died of the disease in the last few weeks.

Not only that even money is being asked by embulance drivers from the poor parents of the victims.
Needless to say, all the victims belong to the Below Poverty Line families.


As if that was not enough came the visit of the state?s Health minister Ashwini Choubey, to SKMCH on Thursday. According to sources the authorities got the hospital vacated of all the attendants at about 4:30 PM, but the minister arrived at around 8:00 PM. Reports said that several children died in between this period as all the doctors got engaged in the ministerial visit.


A television report quoting one of the attendants said the hospital authorities administered injection to a child who died several hours earlier. This was simply because they wanted to use the injection they asked the parents to buy when the child fell ill.


http://www.bihartimes.in/Newsbihar/2011/June/Newsbihar25June2.html

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Bihar: Mysterious disease kills 42 children - undetermined encephalitis

Re: Bihar: Mysterious disease kills 42 children - undetermined encephalitis

Havoc did not stop, admitted nine cases, two deaths Jun 24, 09:58 pm Jun 24, 09:58 pm

- Physician concerned about the treatment, can not find the exact medicine

- Inspection of hospitals by the Director of Health Department
Recruitment of patients took stock of the situation, expressed satisfaction at being free treatment

- Sasnd Upendra, took stock Mngneelal and Arun Kumar

Muzaffarpur, Casn: Naunihalon in rural areas of the district at the time refuses to take the brunt of the disease. Nine new patient was admitted to hospital on Friday, killing two. In addition, the number of deaths from the disease is 38. The event of death of children over the continuing concern over the health minister Ashwini Choubey, the immediate concern of the affected villages and awareness campaign directed to DDT spraying. The exact drug in the treatment of children with no concern of physicians has increased. The doctors diagnosed a credible assurance about the absence of the family are concerned. Stirring it until the health department has seen a high level. On Friday, Health Department Director Dr. Surendra Prasad Kejriwal major Skemsiac visiting hospitals and patients and admitted as a DDT spraying campaign in rural areas stressed. Treatment in order Skemsiac Vibagagyksh Dr. Mohan's baby, infant specialist, Dr. Arvind Kumar, senior physician, Dr. Shailendra Kumar, Dr. Sunil royal superintendent in charge of the hospital were identified from the treatment system. Being provided to the patient's family questioned in connection with drug Matrishishu The two-floor hospital administrator wife Giri, senior physician, Dr. Rajiv Kumar, Dr BN Tiwari inquired about the status of patients. With these civil surgeon Dr. AP Singh, District Filaria Officer was Dr. Suresh Sharma.

Director of the PHC Meenapur visited on Friday, facing the situation. The Pune team engaged in storing viruses there are many mosquitoes which carry the samples is reported. MP here Upendra Kushwaha, MP Mngneelal Board and former MP Arun Kumar, Vineet Corporation Councillor King be seen in the hospitals and the treatment of patients expressed dissatisfaction with the system. According to information received from the disease Skemsiac and a two in hospital on Friday - a child died. MOOSHAHARY Trura their identity is as the desires and Mjulia the Golu.

http://in.jagran.yahoo.com/news/local/bihar/4_4_7916279.htm

Of JE virus did not check in Pune Jun 25, 02:41 am Jun 25, 02:41 am Japanese encephalitis is not what a concern

- Delhi team, the team returned to Pune sample collection

Muzaffarpur, Casn: havoc in the district on June 11 came as a report on preliminary findings of encephalitis has begun to get the sample. Friday Skemsiac samples sent to Pune for investigation of specialist physicians were informed of the initial report. The first sample Armarai in Patna on June 17 and your level team was sent to Pune. Samples were taken of the children of the Calvary Sony Kumari, the young woman took and Dhoti Kanti Kumari Sudha Ratan Kudhni included. Skemsiac the baby Vibadhyksh Mohan informed by the Japanese in the preliminary report of Pune Insefelaits (JE) virus is not brought about. There is an inquiry which is why the disease virus. Skemsiac bear expert here said his physician, Dr. Gopalshankr claim gradually moving towards the truth. The first is the claim that the disease each year may not JE. After the report, medical experts have not fallen concern. The next step is bothering them about the report. A team of specialist doctors from Delhi, villagers came here the text of the awareness
Tutoring and mentoring to strengthen vaccination cycle with
Delhi is back to the Pune team is currently visiting villages.

http://in.jagran.yahoo.com/news/local/bihar/4_4_7918066.html

 

[Treyfish]

Re: Bihar: Mysterious disease kills 42 children - undetermined encephalitis

Re: Bihar: Mysterious disease kills 42 children - undetermined encephalitis

Two more children die in Bihar, encephalitis toll climbs to 44

26/06/2011


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Muzaffarpur, Jun 26 (PTI) Two more children died today due to encephalitis taking the toll to 44 in Bihar''s Muzaffarpur district, officials said.

One child each died of the fever at Srikrishna Medical College Hospital and Kejriwal hospital here, they said.
Twenty-four more children were undergoing treatment for encephalitis at two hospitals in the district, they said.

Meanwhile, district magistrate S K Mall has recommended to the state government to declare the outbreak of encephalitis as an epidemic, official sources said.:tiphat:http://news.in.msn.com/national/article.aspx?cp-documentid=5236611

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Bihar: Mysterious disease kills 44 children - undetermined encephalitis

Re: Bihar: Mysterious disease kills 44 children - undetermined encephalitis

Bihar government asked to invoke Epidemic Act
Shoumojit Banerjee

To enable doctors conduct post-mortem of brain tissue to ascertain the cause of mystery disease

With 41 children falling prey to the ?mystery disease' ravaging North Bihar, the Muzaffarpur district administration on Sunday recommended that the State government invoke the Epidemic Diseases Act throughout the afflicted area. While 41 is the official death toll, unconfirmed reports from different pockets of the Tirhut division put the figure at 48.

On Sunday, the District Magistrate and the Civil Surgeon sent a letter to the State Health Department, recommending that Muzaffarpur be declared an epidemic-zone.

None of the 18 samples sent to the National Institute of Virology, Pune has tested positive for Japanese encephalitis (JE), the Nipahvirus (after Nipah in Malaysia) or the Chandipura virus (after the village in Maharashtra's Nagpur division).

A five-member expert committee has been constituted to formulate the kind of treatment to be administered in the district's afflicted blocks.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/other-states/article2137344.ece