The health department is in a dilemma in its fight against acute encephalitis syndrome.
Persuading parents of child who lost their lives to the virus, to allow collection of brain tissue samples is turning out to be a Herculean task. Moreover, the collection cannot ensue until the state government declares encephalitis an epidemic in the region.
Experts from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), New Delhi, have expressed their helplessness to zero in on the virus behind outbreak of the disease in the absence of brain tissues to research on. Another team of experts from Atlanta (US), led by Dr Padmini, accompanied by NCDC state co-ordinator Ravi Shankar, visited Muzaffarpur following a spurt in the number of encephalitis cases and subsequent death of children.
District magistrate (DM) Anupam Kumar told The Telegraph: “The research team headed by Dr Padmini has stressed the need for providing brain tissue samples of dead children for conducting in-depth probe of the virus. They have visited encephalitis- ravaged villages to collect vital clues.”
The DM added that he has directed the health officials, including chief medical officer (CMO) Gyan Bhushan and Shri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) superintendent G.K. Thakur, to persuade the parents to allow collection of brain tissue samples of their dead children.
But Kumar said: “The administration needs to declare that the deaths have occurred owing to an epidemic to facilitate the collection of brain tissue samples.
This year, the disease has played havoc with kids’ lives, but it has not yet assumed epidemic proportions.”
The research team also visited the SKMCH and Kejriwal Maternity Clinic, where 15 children are admitted.
SKMCH superintendent Thakur said: “Brain tissue samples could only be procured within six hours of death for perfect investigation.
“Since the parents and family members remain upset after the death of their children, they refuse to oblige requests for collection of brain tissue samples for investigation to save lives of other children.”
