Muzaffarpur:
Over 100 children have died in Bihar this year due to a mysterious disease. So far, it was being claimed that the deaths were due to Japanese encephalitis, which has claimed several lives in the state and in eastern Uttar Pradesh.
Renowned expert Dr T Jacob John, retired head of clinical virology CMC Vellore claims that the deaths are actually due to "Acute Hypoglycaemic Encephalopathy" which is a metabolic disease and can occur due to low blood sugar.
Dr John visited the affected areas of Muzaffarpur and he categorically ruled out that some of the people who had died there are related to the consumption of 'litchi' but he added that most of the children he met were malnourished.
The Union Health minister, Harsh Vardhan will be visiting Muzaffarpur on Saturday and he is expected to launch the vaccination for Japanese encephalitis, which according to Dr John may not be effective and useful in the given situation.