An eight-year-old boy died at Shri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) on Monday afternoon during treatment for symptoms of acute encephalitis syndrome (AES).

The boy, identified as Amit Kumar, was a resident of Runnisaidpur in Sitamarhi district.

On May 3, Sapna Khatoon of Minapur in Muzaffarpur district had died during treatment at the hospital, said superintendent G.K. Thakur.

Apart from the casualties reported, three children from Muzaffarpur township have been admitted to the SKMCH since Sunday afternoon with symptoms of AES for the first time. The officials concerned are in a tizzy as till now cases used to come in only from the rural areas. Seven more cases also came in from the rural areas since Sunday afternoon taking the number of children treated at the health hub to 17.

All the children are being treated according to the norms suggested by the state task force headed by S.N. Arya in consultation with experts from the National Centre for Disease Control, New Delhi.

SKMCH superintendent Thakur said: “AES cases have started pouring in from urban as well as the rural pockets. This is the first time such cases are being reported from the town areas.”

Apprehending further outbreak in the urban areas, district magistrate Anupam Kumar said: “The special campaign started to prevent outbreak of the disease and create awareness about the reasons for it would also be launched in the town areas in a day or two. Earlier, the focus was on areas in the countryside based on the history in the past couple of years.” Kumar said he has asked the private school authorities to wind up classes by 10.30am in view of the blistering heat.

He has also directed the chief medical officer-cum-civil surgeon, Gyan Bhushan, to disseminate messages about the threat of encephalitis among private school students in the township area.

Bhushan said his message would be read out in all the private schools during the prayer hours.