India: outbreak of encephalitis kills 430 people

At least 430 people, mostly Gorakhpur district children in Uttar Pradesh state, died of brain inflammation, Indian officials said on October 15.

>>>200 Indian children die from encephalitis

KP Kushwaha, head of the Department of Pediatrics at BRD College of Medicine, said it was one of the most serious pandemic pandemics in a poor area bordering Nepal.

A baby with encephalitis in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh (Photo: Channelnewsasia)

This year alone, more than 2,400 patients were hospitalized, at least 430 died as of October 15, including 336 children, 94 adults. 262 patients continue to be treated. On average, each day there are 30-40 people hospitalized.

The situation got worse when the hospital did not have enough beds, 2 patients had to share a bed.

Last year at Gorakhpur, encephalitis took the lives of 215 people, mostly children.

In 2005, the entire state of Uttar Pradesh had 1,400 people killed in an outbreak of the disease.

The eastern area of ​​Uttar Pradesh is the most severely affected by an annual outbreak of encephalitis due to the very poor population, malnourished children who cannot resist the virus, officials said.

According to health experts, 70 million children across India are at risk for encephalitis.

Encephalitis causes the brain to swell, and can cause brain damage. The disease often has symptoms such as headache, convulsions and fever.