Patna: Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Minister of State (Health) Ashwini Choubey and Secretary of Health Ministry Priti Soren will tomorrow visit Muzaffarpur to take stock of the situation prevailing in the region after the outbreak of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES).
The death toll in the region due to AES has shot up to 69 which includes 58 at Sri Krishna Medical College (SKMCH) and 11 at Kejriwal Hospital.
Earlier, the Health Department had issued an advisory urging parents to prevent their children from playing under the sun when the temperature is around 42 to 43 degree Celsius.
District Magistrate of Muzaffarpur on Friday told the media that schools will remain closed till June 22 for students till class eight and for others, the classes will be held only till 10:30 am.
Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan had pitched for mounting extensive awareness campaigns, especially in the districts reporting a rise in the cases of AES.
According to health experts, monsoon rains will help bring down cases and will also help to treat children already suffering from encephalitis.
“In the last few years, we had closely seen that heat wave conditions help the virus to spread and intensify the disease… monsoon rains are the best antidote for the disease,” a health official said.
Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) is characterized by an acute onset of fever and clinical neurological manifestation that includes mental confusion, disorientation, delirium, or coma.
