In the last two weeks about 35 people have died at the hospital because of acute encephalitis syndrome, superintendent of North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH) Amarendranath Sarkar said on Friday. “About 40 patients are admitted to NBMCH suffering from the syndrome on Friday morning. One patient has died and another one passed away on Wednesday,” he told The Hindu .
Dr. Sarkar pointed out that contrary to some media reports the cause of deaths is not encephalitis but acute encephalitis syndrome. Elaborating the difference between the two, he said that when the encephalitis virus is found in a patient’s body then he or she is diagnosed with encephalitis; if the virus is not detected in the patient’s body then it is termed as acute encephalitis syndrome. The initial symptoms of both the complexities such as headache, fever, unconsciousness, and vomiting, however, are the same. “Encephalitis is a mosquito-borne viral disease. Birds living near water bodies and pigs are its vectors,” said Dr. Sarkar.
Most of the patients coming to NBMCH are from Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling, Cooch Behar, Malda, and even from parts of lower Assam. “Nearly 50 per cent of the patients are from Jalpaiguri,” said Dr. Sarkar. He also said that most of the patients are brought to the hospital in critical condition and have to be provided with ventilator support.
Meanwhile, days after the State government said that it was unaware of any death in north Bengal because of encephalitis, a viral disease, it has decided to dispatch a four-member team of medical experts there, sources said. “The team is expected to reach Jalpaiguri soon,” the sources said. On being asked whether the situation can be described as epidemic, he said that it could be determined only after the team submits its report.
