Published Date: 2012-06-07 14:48:49
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Japanese encephalitis & other - India (03): (BI) RFI
Archive Number: 20120607.1159903

JAPANESE ENCEPHALITIS AND OTHER - INDIA (03): (BIHAR) REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
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Date: Wed 6 Jun 2012
Source: The Bihar Times, Indo Asian News Service (IANS) [edited]
http://www.bihartimes.in/Newsbihar/2012/June/newsbihar06June2.html


The deaths of 8 more children because of a mysterious disease in Bihar's Muzaffarpur and Gaya districts has taken the death toll to 31 in 10 days, officials said on Wednesday [6 Jun 2012].

The government has yet to identify the cause of the deaths. Health minister Ashwani Kumar Choubey and principal secretary (Health) Amarjit Sinha denied reports that the children were dying due to suspected encephalitis. "The causes are yet to be ascertained," Choubey said. Sinha said most deaths were due to excessive heat, dehydration, and malnutrition.

Up to date, 23 children have died in Muzaffarpur and 8 in Gaya. Over 4 dozen children suffering from the mysterious disease have been admitted to hospitals in both districts. Nearly a dozen are battling for life, said a health official.

Some doctors and health officials have reportedly claimed that the children were suffering from symptoms similar to encephalitis. Last year [2011], encephalitis, a mosquitoborne disease, claimed nearly 150 lives in the 2 districts.

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communicated by:
ProMED-mail rapporteur Mary Marshall

[The etiology of these cases is uncertain, although encephalitis is mentioned, perhaps due to Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) infections as indicated in a 2 Jun 2012 report from this area in Bihar state (see ProMED-mail archive no. 20120604.1155306). As the report states, there were many cases of encephalitis in this area last year (2011) and are now occurring again. ProMED-mail awaits further news on the diagnosis of these cases with interest. The JEV transmission season in Bihar state is just beginning.

A HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map showing the location of Bihar state can be accessed at http://healthmap.org/r/1*O9. - Mod.TY]

See Also

Japanese encephalitis & other - India (02): (UP) 20120606.1158514
Japanese encephalitis & other - India: (BR) 20120604.1155306
2011
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Japanese encephalitis & other - India (34): (UP, BI) Nepal 20111109.3328
Japanese encephalitis & other - India (28): (BI,UP) 20111019.3122
Japanese encephalitis & other - India (25): (UP, BI) 20111006.3004
Japanese encephalitis & other - India (23): (BI) 20111002.2970
Japanese encephalitis & other - India (17): (BI) 20110914.2803
Japanese encephalitis & other - India (16): (BI) 20110913.2793
Japanese encephalitis & other - India (15): (BI) 20110912.2774
Japanese encephalitis & other - India (14): (BI) 20110910.2757
Japanese encephalitis & other - India (12): (UP, BI, NA) 20110820.2532
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