Encephalitis claims lives of 3 more kids in Muzaffarpur

MUZAFFARPUR: Medical experts are on their toes as at least three children have died due to encephalitis at Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) here. While one kid died due to acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) at the hospital on Thursday, two other children have lost their lives due to Japanese encephalitis (JE) in the last one week. AES had claimed over 150 lives in the region in the second week of May this year.
SKMCH superintendent Dr Sunil Kumar Shahi said the hospital administration was taking every possible step to treat the children. “Of the 11 children admitted at the hospital in the last one week, three have died – one due to AES and two due to JE,” Dr Shahi said. He added that two children are being treated for JE in the paediatrics intensive care unit of the hospital.
Dr Shahi said 139 kids have so far died at the hospital this year. “Altogether 482 children with AES symptoms were admitted to the hospital this year. Of them, 11 are still undergoing treatment. The death ratio came down to 28.9% this year from 45% and above earlier,” he said.
Meanwhile, the head of the paediatrics department of SKMCH Dr Gopla Shankar Sahni said malnutrition was the main cause of the spread of the disease. “The trend this year has proved that malnutrition among the children is the root cause behind the disease,” he said.