Muzaffarpur, June 15: A team from the Centre for Disease Control, New Delhi, visited rural parts of the district on Friday in a bid to ascertain the virus that has killed 156 children according to the health department so far.

The team visited Barmatpur village on the outskirts of the town. A five-year-old infant, Jannat, of the village was affected with acute encephalitis syndrome this year.

Jannat was admitted to Kejriwal Maternity Clinic in Muzaffarpur. She recovered and was discharged from the hospital after four days of treatment.

The central team studied Jannat’s case and examined the prescriptions and drugs administered to her.

Thereafter, the team members inspected the surroundings of her house and also interacted with the villagers.

Mohammad Mushtaque, a resident of the area, said many children plucked green litchi from the trees and after having them they fell ill.

The visiting members asked the villagers not to allow children to move out in the heat. The members also collected swab of goats reared by the villagers.

The team then left for Minapur and spent an hour at the primary health centre. Dr Raj Kishore Sharma posted at Minapur primary health centre said: “The team members collected swabs of cows, goats and buffaloes. They also took mosquitoes, flies and wild rats for further investigation.”

Superintendent of SKMCH G.K. Thakur said fresh cases have been reported. Eighteen patients with acute encephalitis syndrome have been admitted here on Friday.

“The central team members are burning the midnight oil to ascertain the virus,” said chief medical officer-cum-civil surgeon Gyan Bhushan.