New Delhi: Members of the Indian Youth Congress and the Bihar state unit on Thursday staged a demonstration near Union Helath Minister Harsh Vardhan's residence here over the deaths of children in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district due to suspected Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES).
Demanding the resignations of Harsh Vardhan and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the protesters raised anti-government slogans. The demonstrators were later detained by the police.
According to the latest update, the death toll in Muzaffarpur and surrounding districts has mounted to 190.
Experts say malnourished children, under the age of 15, are vulnerable to the condition which is triggered by, among other things, a toxin found in unripe litchis - the luscious fruit grown in abundance in north Bihar.
Some deaths have also been attributed to sodium and potassium imbalances, caused by dehydration which is common in hot and humid weather.
However, Health authorities have been pointing towards a drop in the incidence of fresh AES cases and casualties and predicted further improvement as the outbreak, which typically strikes the region every year during peak summer, is known to subside with the onset of rains.
Read: Bihar AES deaths: Families of 4 children get ₹4L ex-gratia
