Gaya, Oct. 25: The residents and health officials of the district have heaved a sigh of relief with encephalitis cases showing a receding trend ahead of Diwali.

Gaya was the worst-affected district in Bihar with 326 children, suspected to be suffering from encephalitis, admitted to Anugrah Narayan Magadh Medical College and Hospital (ANMMCH) alone so far. Of late, the number of suspected encephalitis patients at ANMMCH has started coming down. At present, only 17 children are admitted to the health hub with encephalitis symptoms.

ANMMCH superintendent Sitaram Prasad told The Telegraph that no casualty has been reported in the past few days. “The number of new cases has also gone down. Earlier, at least five patients were being admitted to our hospital everyday. The number has now come down to one. So far, 326 children were admitted to the hospital. Of them, 206 have been discharged.”

Citing factors leading to the decline in suspected encephalitis cases, the superintendent said culex mosquitoes breed mainly in waterlogged paddy fields. “With the rainy season over and the standing paddy crops now being ready to be reaped, water has dried up in the fields. As a result, breeding of culex mosquito has also stopped,” he added.

Prasad said during Diwali, people clean up their houses and the neighbourhood as well. “Houses also get a fresh coat of limestone paint. The cleaning and whitewashing of houses help reduce mosquito breeding,” he added.

A doctor at ANMMCH said vaccination has also played a key role in bringing down the number of suspected encephalitis cases. Following the outbreak of the disease, a special vaccination drive was launched in the villages of Gaya, especially in the areas from where majority of the cases were reported.

Head of paediatrics department at ANMMCH Ajay Kishore Ravi accompanied by World Health Organisation experts will visit villages on Saturday for a study of the children who have survived the disease.