Gaya, Sept. 8: The number of acute encephalitis syndrome cases admitted at Anugrah Narayan Magadh Medical College and Hospital (ANMMCH) today touched 50.

Eleven children have died till Tuesday but it has not been confirmed if the deaths were because of encephalitis, said the superintendent of ANMMCH.

The district administration is yet to launch preventive measures and check mosquito breeding, a major cause of encephalitis. Although, the mosquitoes in the township are not carriers of the encephalitis virus, they can cause malaria.

It is a major concern as three days are left before pilgrims start arriving for the 17-day Pitripaksh Mela beginning on September 11.

Sources said the sprinkling of insecticides is not being done owing to non-availability of Baytex oil.

One millilitre of the oil is added to one litre of water. The capacity of the Nepset machines is 16 litres of water. The state health society h as not provided the oil for a long time.

In view of the Pitripaksh Mela, only six litres of Baytex oil has been made available for use during the mela. Earlier, when the filaria department used to provide the oil, sprinkling was at least done during rain, the sources added.

Besides, the GMC has also purchased four small fogging machines to rid the town of mosquitoes. The malaria department has also provided four fogging machines to the civic body. But the machines are never used and lying in the store of the municipal corporation opposite the Gaya railway station. A big fogging machine is lying defunct at the corporation storehouse.