The soaring Celsius has made way for acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) to invade districts of north Bihar this year, already claiming three lives.

The effect showed itself in AES-affected children, who started getting admitted to Shri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) and Kejriwal Maternity Clinic from Muzaffarpur, Samastipur, Rosera, Sheohar and Sitamarhi.

Last year, 163 deaths of the 864 affected children had been reported in north Bihar. So far, three deaths have been reported this year. Fifteen children with AES symptoms are undergoing treatment .

Two scientists from National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), New Delhi, visited Muzaffarpur on Saturday to take stock of the sick children from rural backgrounds.

The chief medical officer of NCDC, Gyan Bhushan, told The Telegraph that their team had arrived in search of the AES-affected in the villages and also to explore the susceptibility of the disease and its correlation with the rising temperature.

They met all the affected children at SKMCH and Kejriwal Maternity Clinic and interacted with their parents. They also collected blood samples of AES-affected children for necessary investigations.

The district magistrate, Anupam Kumar, said: " I have alerted the health department of the AES threat."

The state government has deputed 70 additional doctors in the SKMCH from Patna, Nalanda, Begusarai, Gopalganj, Darbhanga, Purnea, Supaul for effective control and treatment of the AES-affected children. Forty seven of the 70 have already joined and are being trained on the line of treatment to be followed when treating the different stages of the disease," said the district malaria officer, Satish Kumar.

The district health authorities, on the other hand, have started sensitisation and awareness campaigns to combat the AES in the countryside. Kudhani, Minapur and Mushahri -three blocks of the district- have emerged as high risk zones. The superintendent of SKMCH, G.K. Thakur said: "All the AES suspected children are being kept in the paediatric intensive care unit. No one will be provided access inside so as to check the spread of infection."

Normally, it is seen that the political leaders and other social workers rush to SKMCH to express solidarity with the ailing children, much to chagrin of the health officials. The district magistrate has strictly ordered a ban upon the entry of non-attending persons into the intensive care unit .