Muzaffarpur (Bihar): Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES), also known as brain fever, that had killed about 200 children in the state last year, has struck this north Bihar town again in what could be a double whammy in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, an official said on Saturday.
The Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital, which bore the brunt of last years brain fever outbreak and accounted for more than 120 deaths, has admitted its first AES patient this year at the paediatric ICU, superintendent S K Shahi said.
He said a three-year-old boy, who belongs to Baji Bujurg village under Sakda block of the district, was brought to the hospital by his family members, when the condition of the child, who caught a cold a few days back, worsened.
In addition, a girl from Chiraiya in East Champaran district has been referred to SKMCH by the Sadar hospital at Motihari, where she was first admitted with symptoms of AES, Shahi said.
Children afflicted with AES often tend to develop hypoglycaemia, which implies a sudden drop in glucose level and has been linked disputably to the consumption of unripe litchis which are grown in abundance in north Bihar.
Medical experts had, last year, blamed the high number of fatalities on the inordinate delay in administering glucose to the afflicted children who often end up getting the much- required intravenous transfusion at hospitals far away from their homes.
Meanwhile, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar also stressed on the need for preparedness for AES at a high-level meeting in Patna to take stock of the coronavirus situation.
He also instructed officials that expansion of the capacity of the SKMCH paediatric ICU to 100 beds, which he had ordered in the wake of AES outbreak last year, be completed at the earliest.
What is encephalitis fever?
Every year, in the months of May and June, children from different towns of Bihar fall prey to this disease and the process of death of children begins. This disease is actually acute encephalitis syndrome i.e AES. It is also called meningitis. In fact, due to this disease, there is a lack of sugar and sodium in the blood of children. Not getting proper treatment at the right time can even lead to death.
SKMCH confirmed
This is the first patient suffering from AES in this season. Hospital paediatric ICU, superintendent, Dr S.K Shahi has informed that proper arrangements have been made for the treatment of the AES victim. This year, the district's first official case of AES is being reported. With the coming of this case, now the difficulty of Muzaffarpur district administration has increased. Notably, over 150 children had died in the last year itself due to this disease.
SKMCH started preparation
With the onset of summer in Muzaffarpur, people have started to fear AES. However, in SKSCH, preparations for this are being done in full swing. According to the information, in addition to the already built wards, the construction of the new building of the ICU is almost done and which shall be completed by April. 100 beds are to be arranged in the new PICU. Apart from this, a review of two new buildings is also being done at SKMCH in Muzaffarpur.
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