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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Viral sting turns fatal for children

Viral sting turns fatal for children

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published Published on Sep 27, 2011   modified Modified on Sep 27, 2011

-The Telegraph

 

The outbreak of Japanese encephalitis in and around Ranchi has assumed pandemic proportions, with authorities at Ranchi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) reporting 12 child deaths since August 16 till date.

Moreover, 36 among the 81 children admitted to the state-run hospital have been confirmed to be suffering from the mosquito-borne viral disease. All 36 are children, between the age group of five and 11 years.

Japanese encephalitis, marked by high fever, headache, neck stiffness, disorientation, coma and seizures, strikes mostly younger children, as teenagers and adults are largely immune to it.

Though authorities are not willing to come on record on this, the last casualty seems to be of Latehar’s Priyanka Kumari (11) on September 24. Priyanka was admitted to RIMS on September 20.

Confirming the broad figures of patients under treatment, RIMS director Tulsi Mahto said: “A total of 81 patients suffering from high fever came to our hospital. We sent blood samples of 51 suspected cases to the department of microbiology. Tests confirmed 36 were Japanese encephalitis-positive. Eleven tested negative and the results of the four are awaited.”

He added they had adequate medicine stocks, but the severity of the disease was such that some children succumbed. “We are getting patients from across the state and are trying to accommodate them. At the paediatrics and neonatology department, there are 90 beds but patients inflow is high,” Mahto added.

A.K. Sharma, head of department of paediatrics and neonatology at RIMS, said they had been successful in saving the lives of most children. “We are doing our best. Till now, we have been able to save 90 per cent of the patients. In many cases, people have admitted their children here after visiting private hospitals,” Sharma claimed.

“The death toll stood at 12 till Tuesday,” he added.

On the reasons behind the disease, Sharma said: “Poor sanitation and unclean drinking water. Cases are mostly coming from rural pockets.”

Experts say that Japanese encephalitis, caused by Culex mosquito, which breeds in rice fields, marshes, waterlogged drains and pig farming regions, is a poor man’s disease.

Not surprisingly, most cases at RIMS are from city outskirts and rural areas.

An unconscious Vikas Kumar (6) in bed No. 4,019 at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of RIMS is one of them. His parents, Ramdev Ram and Rukmani Devi, from Hazaribagh district, admitted the boy on Sunday evening.

“We found out this Japani fever affects the brain,” Ram, a daily wage earner, said, seeking comfort from the doctor’s assurance that his son would be fine.

An unconscious Urmila Kumari (7) of Chatra district was admitted on September 19. “Her condition is very serious,” said father Bhokta Jati.

Meanwhile, confirmatory tests will start in the less affected East Singhbhum district from Tuesday at Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College and Hospital.

Across the district, 58 suspected cases have been reported at MGM and the premier Tata Main Hospital. But the district was waiting for Elisa test kits to arrive from the renowned National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune.

One kit, able to test 90 cases, arrived on Saturday, delayed by a few days. Authorities, seeing the situation was under control, had continued with symptomatic treatment.

Does the viral outbreak point to civic collapse in suburbs?


The Telegraph, 27 September, 2011, http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110927/jsp/jharkhand/story_14558697.jsp


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