The death toll due to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) mounted to 140 in Muzaffarpur district on Friday. As per official data, 119 deaths have been reported at the government-run Shri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH), which is handling the largest number of patients in the district, while 21 deaths have been confirmed at Kejriwal Hospital. The state has been battling with the vector-borne disease since the last few weeks. AES is a viral disease that causes flu-like symptoms such as high fever, vomiting and in extreme cases, brain dysfunction, seizure, and inflammation of heart and kidney. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while speaking in the Rajya Sabha earlier, had termed the AES deaths as “unfortunate” and “a matter of shame for the nation.” The Supreme Court had on June 24 expressed “serious concerns” over the rising number of deaths due to the disease, saying “it is a matter of great concern.” Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has announced a compensation of Rs 4 lakh each to the families of the children who died due to AES.
