An ailing baby at Kejriwal Maternity Clinic. Picture by Gopi Raman

Experts are checking if litchi trees in the district’s Minapur, Jhapha and Neora areas are carriers of the acute encephalitis syndrome.

A team from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), New Delhi, has been camping over the past 20 days to investigate the outbreak of viruses. Led by B. Karmakar, the team rummaged through litchi orchards in the three areas following a spurt in the number of encephalitis cases being admitted into Shri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) and Kejriwal Maternity Clinic from these locations.

There has been no let-up in the virus’ spread despite moderate rains lately. Official figures have put the number of child deaths at 53.

The team collected leaves and stems from litchi trees for examination and interacted with Minapur farmers. They visited litchi orchards and studied the system of crop management and learnt how Hazratganj farmers in Minapur sprinkle chemicals on litchi trees during flowering to strengthen the stem and later to protect the fruits from insects.

The team also noted down the composition of the chemicals used to enhance the fruit’s productivity and longevity.

Chief medical officer Gyan Bhushan, who spent several hours with the team, made it clear that litchi farming has emerged as a potent carrier agent of the virus. Jagdish Sah, whose five-year-old son died at SKMCH, said the boy used to roam in the litchi orchards in Hazratganj.

The NCDC team is studying whether the virus originates when chemicals are sprinkled on the trees during farming or after it dissolve in the atmosphere. NCDC state coordinator Ravi Shankar confirmed the study to detect the virus source. Quoting the NCDC team, SKMCH superintendent G.K. Thakur said: “The threat of the disease remains. NCDC experts are at work to detect the virus in high-risk villages with gadgets.”

Official figures have put the number of child deaths at 53. Fifteen children are being treated at SKMCH and Kejriwal Maternity Clinic. So far, 156 children have fallen prey to the symptoms of acute encephalitis syndrome. District magistrate Anupam Kumar told The Telegraph that the disease is creating havoc among children belonging to villages in Minapur block.