34 deaths,fever still a mystery

Even as the toll reached 34 on Wednesday,there is still confusion over the mystery disease that has gripped Muzaffarpur and its surrounding districts.

Even as the toll reached 34 on Wednesday,there is still confusion over the mystery disease that has gripped Muzaffarpur and its surrounding districts. While Bihar doctors diagnosed the disease as encephalitis,the National Institute of Virology,Pune,has tested all blood samples negative for the suspected disease.

At Sri Krishna Medical College Hospital,Muzaffarpur,a girl died on Wednesday,taking the toll there to 11. Nineteen are admitted with similar complaints.

All 34 victims belonged to below poverty line families living in suburban Muzaffarpur,Minapur,Kanti,Sitamarhi and in rural areas of adjoining Sheohar and Motihari districts.

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Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said two high-level teams had come to Bihar and experts would find out a concerted plan to deal with this disease,reported from Tirhut region during this time of the year. Health Minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey,however,is unable to explain what this mystery disease is all about. On the other hand,Bihar BJP state president and former Union health minister Dr C P Thakur attributed the deaths to encephalitis,characterised by high or mild fever,convulsion,unconsciousness and froth from mouth.

The health ministry has now decided to send more blood samples to NIV and Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences,Patna. A seven-member NIV team has been collecting blood samples from two Muzaffarpur hospitals that reported maximum number of patients and deaths. The state government,under attack from the Opposition for not being able to deal with the crisis,has even announced to set up a virology institute in Patna.

Principal Secretary,Health,Amarjit Sinha said all victims were in the age group of two-and-a-half to eight years. Symptoms of the disease in most cases are high fever,excessive dehydration and unconsciousness. Patients are being given anti-viral,antibiotics and even anti-malaria treatment in some cases on the advice of Safdarjung Hospital senior paediatrician I P Choudhary, said Sinha,adding that tests of more blood samples and cerebral spinal fluid would help diagnose the disease.

Doctors at Kejriwal Matri Sadan (a private hospital) of Muzaffarpur that admitted 52 children and reported 13 deaths in the last 12 days,said all patients were aged below eight years. Dr Rajiv Kumar of the hospital said: Most children brought here might well have bitten by mosquitoes as they are without clothes most of the time. All of them are malnourished an have low immunity because of weak economic background.

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He said though comprehensive tests were done,meningitis was not detected in any case. Dr Kumar also ruled out gastro-intestinal problems. He,however,attributed some of the deaths to late medical attention,saying parents of the sick children took them to quacks first.