NEW DELHI: Seasonal outbreaks of the “acute encephalitis syndrome”, or AES, have been reported in Muzaffarpur district since 1995. The latest outbreak has claimed the lives of more than 140 children. Experts are yet to get to the root of the outbreak, but here’s what is known about the disease.
In Encephaltis brain becomes inflamed. It’s a neurological illness that requires hospitalisation. The very young and old are most at risk.
THE SYMPTOMS
High temperature and headache. More serious symptoms develop gradually — confusion or disorientation, seizures, weakness or loss of movement.
WHAT CAUSES IT?
AES is a group of medical conditions. It can be caused by a wide range of viruses, bacteria, fungi, parasites, chemicals and toxins.
The Muzaffarpur outbreak has largely found to affect children from rural & poor socio-economic backgrounds.
A 2013 study of the disease in Muzaffarpur by NCDC concluded that the outbreak was more like a non-inflammatory encephalopathy rather than infectious encephalitis. Simply put, encephalitis refers to inflammation in the brain, while encephalopathy refers to permanent or temporary brain damage or disease. Further, NCDC found that samples tested negative for a host of viruses and suggested that a toxin may be behind the illness.
It´s an illness characterised by acute onset seizures and altered mental state. It occurs in the dry, hot pre-monsoon months of May and June, declining with the onset of rains
WHY THE QUESTION MARK ON LITCHI?
May and June coincide with the litchi harvesting season and the worst-affected areas are also, incidentally, litchi growing areas.
Experts found a link between litchi consumption and the absence of an evening meal in the 24 hours preceding illness onset among those affected. The possible reason behind the death among children was hypoglycaemia, or low levels of glucose in the blood.
Experts said litchis contain hypoglycin A, an amino acid that can disrupt metabolism, lowering blood sugar levels. That can trigger hypoglycaemia
and, in extreme cases, lead to death. But the link with litchi is inconclusive
