With the casualty toll in the mysterious illness growing to 47 on Sunday, the Bihar administration is expected to declare it an outbreak.
Under the epidemic Act, the health department will be empowered to obtain samples of brain tissues of the people suffering from the deadly illness.
Around 6 demises have been registered in the last two days, comprising 5 at K D Kejriwal Maternity Hospital.
The hospital declared 24 casualties till Sunday evening consisting of one on Sunday.
About 17 kids are being treated at K D Kejriwal Maternity Hospital.
Muzaffarpur’s administrative hospital, Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital, announced one fatality in the past 48 hours.
In addition, the doctors at Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital have been looking after 8 patients.
Around seven patients with the same disease have been admitted to Patna Medical College and Hospital has.
At the National Institute of Virology, Pune, and Rajendra Memorial Research Institute, Patna, 24 blood and cerebral spinal fluid samples have tested negative for Japanese encephalitis (JE). These institutes now want brain tissue samples to ascertain the disease that experts describe as a kind of viral encephalitis. Culex mosquitoes are suspected to carry virus from animals to humans.
Muzaffarpur district magistrate suggested the state administration to declare Gandak catchment and suburban regions of Bochaha, Minapur, Mushahari, Kanti, Ahiyapur, Sahebganj and Paru as contagion region.
The district administration has formed a five-member doctors’ team to direct line of treatment and help make an emergency plan.
Dr. Arun Shah, one of the committee members, stated that Muzaffarpur cases required the same cure as Saharanpur encephalitis, which caused a large number of fatalities each year till 2000.
“A study by the Indian Council of Medical Research concluded that a toxin from kasaundhi trees, being transmitted to humans through insects, caused the disease. The trees were cut and the disease subsided. Litchi trees and mosquitoes present in the region should be studied for this disease,” suggested Shah.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar stated that regardless of blood sample examinations ruling out Japanese encephalitis, JE vaccine should be given to all kids under 15 years in affected regions.