Centre sends team to help check encephalitis in Bihar

New Delhi: The Centre has constituted a multi-specialist high-level team which will visit Bihar on Wednesday to assist the state government in containment and management of the rising cases of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) in Muzaffarpur and Japanese Encephalitis (JE) in Gaya.

Union health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, who reviewed the status of AES and JE cases in Bihar Tuesday, said that he met state health minister Mangal Pandey recently and assured him of full support and assistance by the Centre.

Elaborating on the support being extended to state, Dr Vardhan said, “A multi-specialist high-level team has been constituted by the ministry which will reach Bihar on Wednesday.”

Experts comprising those from National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), AIIMS, Patna are part of the central team and will review the surge in cases of encephalopathy or encephalitis and assist the state in containment operations. This is in addition to a team which is already stationed in Muzaffarpur.

The team has visited various hospitals to assess the situation and support the state government.

Currently, Sri Krishna Medical College and hospital, Muzaffarpur has reported 22 cases of fever, hypoglycemia and unconsciousness, of which 11 have been admitted on Tuesday, the ministry said.