August 17 As many as 79 children have died due to suspected Japanese encephalitis or brain fever in this eastern Uttar Pradesh district and many more are undergoing treatment, a senior official said here today.
A total of 278 children were admitted to BRD Medical College here since July 31, of which 79 died and 130 were still being treated at the paediatrics ward of Nehru hospital, attached to the BRD college, Additional Director (Health) D P Misra said.
Some patients from Bihar and neighbouring Nepal were also admitted here, Misra said. He, however, did not comment on the earlier figure of 39 given by hospital officials.
Gorakhpur Commissioner Arvind Kumar today visited the hospital and took stock of the situation. The AD (Health) said there was no specific remedy for this fever and "only life-sustaining measures are being undertaken."
He said the blood serum samples were being sent to the National Institute of Infectious Diseases and to Regional Laboratory Lucknow for examination and after their reports only could Japanese encephalitis be confirmed. The tests may take a month.
