Detonator Posted June 12, 2014 Posted June 12, 2014 A recent incident in West Bengal's Malda district left everyone alarmed when seven children died due to an unknown virus infection found in litchis. The litchi syndrome is an infection caused due to a virus that has been attacking litchis, just when the much-awaited summer fruit hit the markets. This summer delight has lately been lethal for many when it caused sudden deaths immediately after its consumption. Since there was an abundant production of litchis in Malda this year, its price had trickled down in the past few days which led to rise in its consumption. The children who died have been reported to be aged between two to four years. They were admitted to the state-run Malda Medical College and Hospital when their health condition began to deteriorate. "From June 3 to June 7, seven children have died. The viral syndrome occurred last in 2012 and can be called rare," M.A. Rashid, hospital's vice principal-cum-superintending officer. Further scientific probe found that the litchi fruit virus once consumed reaches the brain which results in instant swelling. This rare infection is known to have originated in China, though it has been experienced in some parts of North India during summer months. Scientifically, it is known as encephalopathy. Encephalopathy refers to any type of brain damage or malfunction and can be of many types. It may cause permanent brain injury or even death, while in some cases it may be reversible. "The parents noticed fever and spells of vomiting which intensified and culminated in convulsions, leading to death in five to six hours. The symptoms were sudden. A team of specialists from the School of Tropical Medicine in Kolkata and a team from Indian Council of Medical Research will visit the area, " Rashid added. In 2012, a similar spell of encephalopathy killed more than 100 children. With inputs from IANS Avoid Unripe Litchis, Says Bengal Minister Litchi, the popular summer fruit has now been deemed dangerous as its consumption seems to be causing a fatal virus infection. Between June 3 and 7, at least seven children were reported dead in the Malda district of West Bengal. The West Bengal government on Wednesday issued a warning and advised people not to consume unripe litchis. The Minister of State for Health, Chandrima Bhattacharya termed the incident "unfortunate" but claimed that there was no negligence on the part of the Malda Medical College and Hospital, where the deaths took place. At the press conference, Bhattacharya said, "Most children were brought in a very acute condition and there were no shortcomings in the treatment provided to them. The deaths were caused by toxins present in unripe litchis and so far these toxins have not been found in ripe litchis. I appeal to people to not consume unripe litchis and keep them away especially from children." The minister was quoted saying that teams from the health department and the Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine (CSTM) have visited the hospital and collected samples. The samples are being sent to Pune's National Institute of Virology to determine the causative organism whose 'exact identity' is still unknown. According to doctors at Malda Medical College and Hospital (MMCH) in West Bengal, the children died due to swelling of the brain (encephalitis). They exhibited a sudden onset of fever, convulsions and died withing five to six hours of the appearance of the symptoms. Immediately after the minister's statement, Leader of Opposition Surjya Kanta Mishra, a doctor who was health minister during the LF rule, said, "Such a case was reported when we were in power but we soon learnt that it was caused due to pesticides applied on stalks of litchi trees. "But now we are getting some new information. After the incidents were reported earlier this month, it was said some virus was responsible. Now, today we were told it is due to the presence of a toxin in unripe litchis. I appeal to the government to take expert opinion so we can ascertain the reason behind this tragedy," he added. A similar incident has occurred in the Muzaffarpur District of Bihar where 44 people have died over a fortnight due to an acute encephalitis syndrome (AES). A team member of the inspection team said that while local health workers are pointing towards the 'litchi syndrome' it is yet to be proved. So far, the collected samples have tested negative for Japanese encephalitis (JE), chikungunya and dengue virus. Additional tests for other strains will be done at Pune, where the samples from Bengal have also been sent to establish a link between the deaths that have occurred in the two states. Rahman, an assistant professor at CSTM's Tropical Medicine unit said "We think it's a virus because it has spread in a small area. However, we can only confirm this once we get the final results in 7 to 10 days. Only then can we determine if litchi is the root cause of the problem." In response to the large number of suspected encephalitis deaths in the country, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan has asked officials to target 100 percent immunization of children. RIP. Please be careful peeps.
undisputed chap Posted June 12, 2014 Posted June 12, 2014 Avoid Unripe Litchis' date= Says Bengal Minister RIP. Please be careful peeps. Pls keep us updated. Also what vaccination is health minister talking of an unknown agent which may or may not be a virus which may or may not be vaccine preventable ? Or just scaring the people to avail to the national immunization program ?
StriKe Posted June 12, 2014 Posted June 12, 2014 :nervous:I ate some yesterday.... :bye: :bye: @OP Hope they treat other kids and people who had Litchi so it doesn't affect them later
Detonator Posted June 12, 2014 Author Posted June 12, 2014 Pls keep us updated. Also what vaccination is health minister talking of an unknown agent which may or may not be a virus which may or may not be vaccine preventable ? Or just scaring the people to avail to the national immunization program ? The article says the children bought to the hospital are in acute condition, so the doctors will be left with very short time before it's too late. The virus is classified as rare now, so the treatment for acute conditions will be unclear, until the virologists find a solution. No one is scaring people. I have doubts on the vaccination history for the children who died in these areas. Overdose or expired vaccines can cause encephalitis (brain inflammation) in children below 6. The national immunization program itself might be the cause for this.
Detonator Posted June 12, 2014 Author Posted June 12, 2014 Love eating litchi? Well, think again. A new surge of infections and deaths caused by the litchi virus has people fearing the fruit. The litchi virus (found in the litchi fruit), has recently caused the death of eight children in the Malda district in West Bengal. The virus, it is reported, causes a grave condition called encephalopathy which leads to high grade fever, vomiting and convulsions. The condition affects the brain and can quickly lead to death. So far, children between the ages of 3-5 years have perished while at least six children have been admitted to the Malda Medical college for treatment. (Read: 10 vaccines recommended for your child) According to experts the virus was first discovered in China and Vietnam several years ago and then spread to Muzaffarpur in Bihar. Interestingly, Malda district saw a larger production of litchi this year leading to greater consumption of the fruit. (Read: Food poisoning: Causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment) According to the health department, they are not sure about what preventive measures people should follow and they are currently waiting for the medical team from Kolkata, expected to reach Malda on Saturday evening to give them a better idea of the condition. In a statement to the Times of India, Dr M A Rashid, vice-principal of Malda Medical College, confirmed that the victims suffered from high fever and their brains were affected. With the sudden rise in temperature, they began to vomit and had convulsions. ‘We appeal to people that whenever you see such symptoms, bring the children to hospital immediately,’ Rashid said. We think, knowledge is power, so before the medical team comes to a conclusion, here is some information that could help you stay safe from the virus. What is encephalopathy? Encephalopathy is the inflammation of the brain. Caused due to an infection the most common cause is a viral infection, but bacterial encephalopathy has also been known to occur. The symptoms of the condition are usually flu-like symptoms – namely fever, malaise, generalised fatigue and severe headaches. In some cases a person may suffer from seizures, bouts of vomiting, dizziness and confusion. In severe cases encephalopathy can lead to death. In the case of this condition, timely diagnosis and treatment are an absolute must. Recognise the symptoms in your child: Children often suffer from symptoms like buldging in the fontanels (soft spots) of the child’s head. Nausea, vomitting, body stiffness, continuous and inconsolable crying, sleeping too much, lack of apetitie and irritability. http://www.thehealthsite.com/news/west-bengal-litchi-virus-kills-eight-childern-leaves-six-more-in-serious-condition/
undisputed chap Posted June 12, 2014 Posted June 12, 2014 The article says the children bought to the hospital are in acute condition, so the doctors will be left with very short time before it's too late. The virus is classified as rare now, so the treatment for acute conditions will be unclear, until the virologists find a solution. No one is scaring people. I have doubts on the vaccination history for the children who died in these areas. Overdose or expired vaccines can cause encephalitis (brain inflammation) in children below 6. The national immunization program itself might be the cause for this. Not sure its vaccine induced (stop scaring people). Hope an accurate autopsy is performed.
BlueBee Posted June 12, 2014 Posted June 12, 2014 :nervous:I ate some yesterday.... :bye: :sniffle: RIP @OP :((
Cricket_Hacker Posted June 12, 2014 Posted June 12, 2014 I ate some 10 min before reading this thread
BlueBee Posted June 12, 2014 Posted June 12, 2014 I ate some 10 min before reading this thread :omg: :bye: :bye: You will be missed :sniffle:
cowboysfan Posted June 12, 2014 Posted June 12, 2014 i bought some litchis from the korean market last week,i am not impressed because they are all too ripe.the best time to eat litchis is when they still have some tanginess to them and are firm.I remember going to lalbagh early in the morning to avoid the guards and get some awesome litchis straight from the tree.
undisputed chap Posted June 12, 2014 Posted June 12, 2014 Not sure if the virus or whatever the agent has been isolated from the litchi fruit. So difficult to know whether litchi is the source of the the agent but better to be safe I guess.
devla Posted June 13, 2014 Posted June 13, 2014 i bought some litchis from the korean market last week' date='i am not impressed because they are all too ripe.the best time to eat litchis is when they still have some tanginess to them and are firm.I remember going to lalbagh early in the morning to avoid the guards and get some awesome litchis straight from the tree.[/quote'] Lalbagh?
CG Posted June 13, 2014 Posted June 13, 2014 :omg: :bye: :bye: You will be missed :sniffle: :cantstop::whack:
SLICKR392 Posted June 13, 2014 Posted June 13, 2014 :nervous:I ate some yesterday.... You still there? Post something.
fineleg Posted June 13, 2014 Posted June 13, 2014 Rads and others who ate these things - can you post here? :nervous:
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