A 12-member team of epidemiologist from National Centre for Disease Control, New Delhi, has arrived in Muzaffarpur to ascertain the root cause behind the outbreak of encephalitis every year.

The NCDC team visited Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) in Muzaffarpur, Sadar hospital and Kejriwal Maternity Clinic to collect data related to the patients who were infected with the disease previously.

The members of the team also interacted with doctors of the hospitals and made case histories of the patients.

Health department principal secretary Vyasji has directed the chief medical officer-cum-civil surgeon Gyan Bhushan to co-ordinate with the team members and provide them with necessary information required for all kinds of scientific investigation of the disease.

Vyasji said: “I have sought detailed information from SKMCH superintendent G.K. Thakur and Bhushan about the line of treatment adopted by doctors previously while treating the ailing children.”

Children, mostly from the financially weaker section of the society, fall ill with symptoms of acute viral fever, dysentery, breathlessness and vomiting.

In the past few years, the disease has played havoc with the lives of children. The medical fraternity, too, is in the dark over the proper treatment to meet the exigency.

In the past four years, more than 300 children have lost lives and most of them died during the course of treatment.

In 2012, the disease spread from Muzaffarpur to East Champaran, Sitamarhi and Sheohar districts. Most of the children were admitted to Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) in Muzaffarpur for treatment.

Apprehending similar trouble this year, chief minister Nitish Kumar had requested Union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad in January to provide a helping hand to the state functionaries to avoid a catastrophe. Following the chief minister’s request, the 12-member team, headed by NCDC senior scientist Kapila Goyal, visited Muzaffarpur.