Death toll of children due to encephalitis mounts to 93 in Indian state Bihar

NEW DELHI -- The outbreak of "Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES)," which has plagued India's eastern state of Bihar, has so far killed at least 93 children in the past two weeks, local media reported Monday.

The children were admitted to Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) and the Kejriwal Hospital in Muzaffarpur district of Bihar. Out of the 93, 76 children have died at SKMCH alone.

"I assure the people of the area, especially the affected families, that the government will extend all possible help and measures to the state government," Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan was quoted as saying after visiting the affected parts in the state on Sunday.

"I am monitoring the situation very closely and I am of the opinion that we should have a research facility in the affected area soon, to know about the causes of this disease in more detail," he told media in Delhi on Monday.

According to the experts, the disease mostly affects children below 15 years of age and symptoms of AES are acute onset of fever and a change in mental status like confusion, disorientation, delirium, or coma, and the onset of seizures.