AFP said 60 children, mostly under 10 and malnourished, are being treated in a hospital after the outbreak of AES Syndrome in Muzaffarpur district, Bihar state, India.
The head of the Bihar State Department of Health, Ashok Kumar Singh, said 10 children had died on June 18, bringing the total number of fatal victims to 113.
"Six babies have been discharged after being treated with AES," Singh said and warned of the number of people who were hospitalized. Dozens of children are being treated. The hospital is overloaded, images from local television show that some children have to share a bed.
On June 18, dozens of people stood outside Muzaffarpur district’s main hospital to protest, saying the authorities reacted too slowly. The medical chief of Bihar state was criticized the most after he asked reporters about the ratio of cricket matches between India and Pakistan during a press conference about the disease situation.
"Bihar State Health Minister Mangal Pandey seems to be more interested in cricket results than children’s decisions," MPs oppose the National Party, Randeep Surjewala wrote on Twitter.
The governor of Bihar state, Nitish Kumar, on June 18 faced an angry crowd when he first visited patients at Sri Krishna School of Medicine Hospital, where most of the deaths occurred. . Reporters were not allowed to enter the hospital and the families of the patients were not allowed to meet reporters.
When infected, the victim will suddenly lose blood sugar, high fever, convulsions and paralysis. AES can be caused by bacteria, viruses and toxins in different ways.
AES outbreaks occur every summer in Muzaffarpur district since 1995, often coinciding with the lychee season - the main fruit crop in this area. In addition to 2014 with a record number of 357 children in the entire state of Bihar, the number of people with annual results is usually much lower.
A few years ago, US researchers thought the disease could be related to a toxin found in litchi. However, they also said more research is needed to confirm the cause of the disease, which has a survival rate of about 30%.
The National Human Rights Commission has asked the government of Prime Minister Narenda Modi and Kumar state government to report any errors that may occur during the vaccination process and public awareness programs.
People expressed opposition to the authorities when the number of victims of death increased to more than 100 people. Photo: Reuters.
An editorial of the Hindu Times on June 18 suggests that conclusions can easily be prevented if the authorities have foresight and prepare early care programs.
In 2014, a group of Indian and American experts rescued 74% of sick children with a simple medical intervention. "It’s amazing that this year the government has been unable to raise awareness about this strategy," Hindu Times said.
Bihar is one of the poorest states in India and is home to nearly 100 million people. The state is also experiencing a severe drought in history with temperatures in recent weeks amounting to 45 degrees Celsius, 91 people have died due to heat-related issues over the weekend. .
Most children with AES come from poor families, struggling to earn even one meal a day. Often children eat litchi, which is grown in Muzaffarpur area, when the stomach is hungry.
