Acute Encephalitis Syndrome toll climbs to 117 in Bihar

Patna, June 20: Death toll due to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) rose to 117 in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district. 98 deaths at SKMCH & 19 deaths at Kejriwal hospital.

The worst-hit district is Muzaffarpur with the viral disease claiming the lives of 117 children, followed by Vaishali where 12 children have lost the battle with AES. Another six children have lost their lives in Begusarai district, five in Samastipur, and two each in Motihari and Patna.

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Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday refused to answer questions on deaths due to AES. He evaded the reporters by keeping the windows up and refusing to give any reply despite repeated requests by reporters.

Deputy CM Sushil Modi also dodged a question on the issue stating that his press conference was only about banking committees.

Earlier, Kumar had announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh each to the families of the children who died due to AES. He had also given directions to the health department, district administration and doctors to take necessary measures to fight the outbreak.

What Is AES?

AES is an umbrella term of infections that cause swellings on the brain. Its symptoms typically include headache, vomiting, confusion and seizures, and complications include memory loss, coma and even death.