8 more children succumb to encephalitis in UP, toll touches 569

Eight more children succumbed to encephalitis taking the death count from the viral disease to 569 this year in eastern region of Uttar Pradesh, health officials said on Wednesday.

The children died in BRD Medical College Hospital in Gorakhpur, they said, adding that one child from Gorakhpur succumbed to the disease on Tuesday, while rest of seven deaths occurred on Sunday and Monday.

Forty-eight people with symptoms of encephalitis were admitted to BRD-MCH in the last three days, they said.

With these deaths, the number of deaths in eastern UP from the disease since this year rose to 569, the officials said.

Since January this year, 2737 encephalitis patients, of whom 569 succumbed to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome, were admitted to different government hospitals, the officials said. Around 230 patients are still being treated at these hospitals, the sources said.

Image: A four-year-old girl who had a reaction from one of his encephalitis drugs

Photograph: Nishi Tiwari/Rediff.com