Encephalitis: US experts come to Gorakhpur

After the state Government8217;s failure to isolate the viruses responsible for Acute Encephalitis Syndrome cases in Gorakhpur...

After the state Government8217;s failure tonbsp;isolate thenbsp;virusesnbsp;responsible fornbsp;Acute Encephalitis Syndromenbsp; cases in Gorakhpur,nbsp;the Centre has sought USA8217;s help.

On the invitation of the Government, a team ofnbsp;twonbsp;virology expertsnbsp;from Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, are camping in Gorakhpur from August 28 and collecting blood samples for testing in their own laboratory.

Scientists at Pune-basednbsp;National Institute of Virologynbsp;found thatnbsp;unlike Japanese Encephalitis, which is a vector-borne disease 8212; spreads through mosquitoes 8212; thenbsp;AESnbsp;cases were caused bynbsp;enteroviruses, whichnbsp;spreads through the oral-fecal route.

There are thousands of enteroviruses, and those responsible for the problem in Gorakhpur could not be identified.nbsp;Experts from the US arenbsp;expected tonbsp;help in the identification of the viruses and check whether the present line of symptomaticnbsp;treatment given to the patientsnbsp;is correct.

Thenbsp;experts are supposed to compile their report in Americanbsp;andnbsp;give it to the Centre along with their recommendations.

8220;The Indian Council for Medical Research ICMR has a long time understanding with CDC and they have been assisting us in various projects. Thus, we thought to take their help in this case as well,8221; saidnbsp;Dr M M Gore, a senior scientist from National Institute of Virology, Pune.

Onnbsp;Sunday, the experts visited the houses of some of the patients to seenbsp;the environment in which most of the patients were living. They also visited the BRD Medical College, Gorakhpur, to check the treatment given to the patients registered under AES.nbsp;

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8220;We have high hopes from these experts.nbsp;Year after year, we have been watching large number of children being affected with the virus and we have no other option but to provide them with symptomatic treatment,8221; saidnbsp;Dr Lalit Mohan,nbsp;principal of BRD Medical College.nbsp;8220;We hope that they will help us in identifying the clinical spectrum of thenbsp;disease and suggestnbsp;if there can be any better line of treatment,8221; added Mohan.

AES: situation this year

People affected: 962

Related deaths: 170

Worst affectednbsp;districts:

8226;Gorakhpur: 319 patients, 54 deaths

8226; Kushinagar: 226 patients, 42 deaths

8226;Devaria: 136 patients, 30 deaths

8226;Mehrajganj: 92 patients, 17 deaths