Deaths rise from lychee-linked brain disease in India as 20 children die in just 24 hours

[UniverseWatcher]

A further 20 children have died from acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) in just 24 hours, bringing the total number of child fatalities said to be caused by lychee fruit in the Bihar state of eastern India to 97.
“The government will leave no stone unturned to contain it at the earliest,” said Health Minister Harsh Vardhan during a four-hour visit to the Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SLMCH) in Muzaffapur on Sunday. Three children reportedly died while he was there.



Ministry of Health
✔@MoHFW_INDIA
Union Health Minister [URL='https://twitter.com/drharshvardhan']@drharshvardhan visited SKMCH, #Muzaffarpur today to review the AES cases, with MOS Sh @AshwiniKChoubey. He spent approx 4 hrs,visiting all six wards where children are admitted. He conferred with the doctors and talked to attendants of the children.[/URL]

https://twitter.com/intent/like?tweet_id=1140260516692017152


Some 146 patients are still being treated in the district at the center of the outbreak. Encephalitis is a swelling of the brain often caused by viruses, with symptoms like high fever, convulsions and headaches.

Recent outbreaks of AES, also known as “brain fever,” have been linked to the lychee fruit, which contains an unusual combination of amino acids that disrupt glucose production leading to hypoglycemia which can, in turn, exacerbate the AES infection with fatal consequences.


Health Secretary Sanjay Kumar told RFI that treatment of the encephalitis outbreak also has been hampered by the recent extreme heatwave in the region, which has so far claimed 56 lives.

The state health department has advised parents against letting their children play in the sun and against letting them go to bed on an empty stomach. Schools will reportedly remain closed until June 22 as a precautionary measure to help manage and contain the crisis.

https://www.rt.com/news/462040-india-lychee-death-toll-rises/


Be safe out there guys...

 

[Goenitz]

May it is contained soon.

 

[Death Professor]

can't even enjoy fruits these days, is it only lychee? Hope the thing gets under controlled and hope rest of patients get well soon.

 

[assasiner]

i hope they find some cure for it as soon as possible....

 

[Yaseen1]

Very sad that indian public is so poor and living in miserable condition worst than animals and they are wasting money in space station and buying expensive weapons ,however this comes in later stage after poverty is controlled but india has no focus on controlling poverty.They want to become u.s without improving standard of life of their public which is wrong approach and they will surely fail

 

[TNT]

I dont see how lychee can be connected to encephalitis, unless there is a specific virus or bacteria in lychees that can infect the brain and spinal cord.