Bihar Child deaths: Darj health dept on alert

SNS, 18 June 2019, SILIGURI: At a time when around 100 children have died of an acute encephalitia syndrome (AES) outbreak in neighbouring Bihar, the Darjeeling health department has said it is monitoring the situation.
This region has also witnessed deaths of more than 200 people due to Japanese Encephalitis (JE) and AES in 2014. Health officials, however, said that the monitoring was routine and there was absolutely no reason to press the panic button.
Doctors at the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH) said that some patients suffering from AES and with symptoms of AES get admitted every year, while sometimes there are reports of deaths due to the AES, but not at an alarming rate.
"We are monitoring the situation. There is no reason for people to panic. The health department, during public health awareness programmes on vector borne diseases round the year, also campaigns on AES and JE. During the programmes, we make people aware of what steps should be taken and what should not be done to prevent those diseases. However, we are keeping surveillance," said Darjeeling district chief medical officer of health Dr Pralay Acharya.
According to public health experts, AES is a neurological disorder, and it affects the brain and the limbic system. It also includes JE and a host of other forms of encephalitis caused by various viruses, bacteria, fungi, parasites, spirochetes, chemicals and toxins It also spreads through contaminated viruses. such as enteroviruses and may be contracted through contaminated water. The most common symptoms of this disease include dizziness, headache, body ache, vomiting, fever, nausea.
Sources at the NBMCH said there were few cases of the two diseases at the NBMCH right now.
"A few patients are admitted with AES, like previous years, but it is not alarming," NBMCH sources said.