Toll in encephalitis cases rises to 129 in Bihar; SKMCH in Muzaffarpur accounts for 109 of these deaths

Muzaffarpur: With one more death at government-run Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) in the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday, the toll due to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) mounted to 129 in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur district. [caption id=“attachment_4457969” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of a child suffering from encephalitis. Reuters[/caption] As per official data, the toll at SKMCH has touched 109, while 20 children died at Kejriwal hospital in the district due to the vector-borne disease. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had announced an ex-gratia compensation of Rs 4 lakh each to the families of the children who died due to encephalitis. He had also given directions to the health department, district administration and doctors to take necessary measures to contain the disease. Encephalitis is a viral disease that causes flu-like symptoms such as high fever, vomiting and in extreme cases, brain dysfunction, seizure, and inflammation of heart and kidney.