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Patna, June 20 (1ANS) The Bihar government voiced alarm after eight more children died in Muzaffarpur district, taking the toll from a mysterious disease sweeping the state to 28, officials said Monday.
The children died after reporting high fever followed by bouts of unconsciousness and convulsions.
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Locals termed the disease "chamki ki bimari" and said the symptoms were similar to encephalitis, a disease that causes inflammation of the brain.
Over three dozen children are undergoing treatment in hospitals but health officials are still unable to identify the disease.
Alarmed by the deaths, Bihar Health Minister Ashwani Kumar Choubey visited Muzaffarpur Monday evening to take stock of the situation.
It was Choubey who had earlier described the soaring sumemr heat in the region as the cause of the deaths three days ago.
"The situation in Muzaffarpur appears to be serious. We will take care," Choubey told IANS.
An official in the chief minister's office told IANS that Nitish Kumar held a meeting with officials and directed them to take immediate measures to tackle the situation.
He asked the principal secretary of the health department, Amarjeet Sinha, to send a team of experts to Muzaffarpur.
Nitish Kumar, who returned from a week-long visit to China Sunday, appealed to union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad to immediately send a central team to Bihar to investigate the mystery disease.
According to reports, children with symptoms similar to those of encephalitis were also found in other districts like Sheohar, Gopalganj, East Champaran, Siwan and Sitamarhi.
Muzaffarpur Malaria Officer Bhagirathi Prasad Sunday told IANS: "It is unfortunate the cause of the deaths could not be ascertained till date."
It is not the first time Muzaffarpur is in news for deaths of children due to an unknown disease. Last year also, over two dozen children died but the state government failed to identify the reason.
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