Patna: Altogether 209 children have died of encephalitis in Bihar since May, state Additional Secretary (Health) R P Ojha said today.
A total 541 encephalitis cases were reported in the state till date out of whom 209 children have died and 93 others were undergoing treatment in various hospitals, he said.
A total 143 children have died in the Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital and Kejriwal charitable hospital in Muzaffarpur, while 50 deaths have been reported at the Patna Medical College Hospital and another 11 children have died at the A N Magadh Medical College Hospital in Gaya said.
The health official said two cases of Japanese encephalitis reported from Gaya had turned out to be negative in laboratory test by National Centre For Disease Control.
Ojha said the disease was likely to abate after the onset of the monsoon season as the heat wave was one of its major cause.
The state government has declared 10 districts as encephalitis-prone and put in place additional measures for treatment of the patients, he said.
PTI
