Background.
1. 110 children died due to encephalitis in Muzaffarpur, Bihar. Encephalitis (Chamki fever) is a
disease that causes inflammation of the brain that caused many children to die and this has caused
a scare for the summer fruit 'litchi'. The reason behind this being the fact that the kids had eaten
the fruit after which they couldn't survive. Most victims of encephalitis had very low sugar levels
and had consumed litchis on empty stomach.
What is Acute Encephalitis Syndrome?
2. AES tends to affect the central nervous system, mostly in children and young adults. It's a viral
disease which causes mild flu-like symptoms such as high fever, convulsions and headache.
What Causes AES?
3. AES is complex and can be caused by:-
* virus, bacteria, fungi and a range of agents.
* scrub typhus, dengue, mumps, measles even Nipah or Zika virus.
* a severe form of leptospirosis and toxoplasmosis.
* the causative agents varies with season and geographical locations and predominantly affect
those below 15 years of age.
Thus, in several cases, the cause of AES remain clinically unidentified.
The Connection Between Litchi and Encephalitis.
4. (a) Encephalitis had spread in the lichi-growing areas of Bihar.
(b) Consumption of the fruit was among the factors for the spread of the disease.
(c) Litchi is a good source of vitamin C, vitamin B 12(Riboflavin), Potassium and Copper. It is
loaded with anti-oxidants, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and anti-viral
properties. Furthermore, it's anti-diabetic, anti-obesity, liver-protective and immune-boosting
in nature. Also, it's rich in polyphenol (Plant-based anti-oxidants) including proanthocyanidins
which may prevent heart problems and cancer.
5. During early morning, there is a normal tendency for blood sugar to dip after several hours of no
food intake. Undernourished children who may have gone to sleep without a meal at night develop
hypoglycaemia (A condition that occurs when a person's blood glucose levels - BGL - has
dropped too low below 4 mmol/L). The brain needs normal levels of glucose in the blood and the
liver is unable to supply the need. So the alternate pathway of glucose synthesis, which is known
as fatty acid oxidation, is turned on.
6. That pathway is blocked by Methyl Carboxy Phenyl Glycine(MCPG). Thus litchi does not cause
any harm to well nourished children but only in the case of undernourished children, who had
eaten litchi fruit the previous day and had gone to bed on an empty stomach. When it comes to
well nourished children, reserve glucose gets stored as glycogen (Glucose Polysaccharide) in their
liver. When the glucose level goes down, the glycogen is broken down into glucose and circulated
in the blood for use.
7. Hungry children, eating unripened litchi that fell on the ground, were susceptible to the
disaster! Sad!!
8. And the entire lot seemed to be heaping blame on Bihar's chief minister, Nitish Kumar, for the
deaths having been caused by the pathetic condition of the hospital!
Tailpiece.
Had got up at our usual time, gone through our chores and were ready well in time. Annie went about her work systematically and was out of the house by 1700 hrs. Had 'happy hours' at our neighbour's in the evening. The AM was all by himself as his family is away in Thiruvananthapuram.
1. 110 children died due to encephalitis in Muzaffarpur, Bihar. Encephalitis (Chamki fever) is a
disease that causes inflammation of the brain that caused many children to die and this has caused
a scare for the summer fruit 'litchi'. The reason behind this being the fact that the kids had eaten
the fruit after which they couldn't survive. Most victims of encephalitis had very low sugar levels
and had consumed litchis on empty stomach.
What is Acute Encephalitis Syndrome?
2. AES tends to affect the central nervous system, mostly in children and young adults. It's a viral
disease which causes mild flu-like symptoms such as high fever, convulsions and headache.
What Causes AES?
3. AES is complex and can be caused by:-
* virus, bacteria, fungi and a range of agents.
* scrub typhus, dengue, mumps, measles even Nipah or Zika virus.
* a severe form of leptospirosis and toxoplasmosis.
* the causative agents varies with season and geographical locations and predominantly affect
those below 15 years of age.
Thus, in several cases, the cause of AES remain clinically unidentified.
The Connection Between Litchi and Encephalitis.
4. (a) Encephalitis had spread in the lichi-growing areas of Bihar.
(b) Consumption of the fruit was among the factors for the spread of the disease.
(c) Litchi is a good source of vitamin C, vitamin B 12(Riboflavin), Potassium and Copper. It is
loaded with anti-oxidants, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and anti-viral
properties. Furthermore, it's anti-diabetic, anti-obesity, liver-protective and immune-boosting
in nature. Also, it's rich in polyphenol (Plant-based anti-oxidants) including proanthocyanidins
which may prevent heart problems and cancer.
5. During early morning, there is a normal tendency for blood sugar to dip after several hours of no
food intake. Undernourished children who may have gone to sleep without a meal at night develop
hypoglycaemia (A condition that occurs when a person's blood glucose levels - BGL - has
dropped too low below 4 mmol/L). The brain needs normal levels of glucose in the blood and the
liver is unable to supply the need. So the alternate pathway of glucose synthesis, which is known
as fatty acid oxidation, is turned on.
6. That pathway is blocked by Methyl Carboxy Phenyl Glycine(MCPG). Thus litchi does not cause
any harm to well nourished children but only in the case of undernourished children, who had
eaten litchi fruit the previous day and had gone to bed on an empty stomach. When it comes to
well nourished children, reserve glucose gets stored as glycogen (Glucose Polysaccharide) in their
liver. When the glucose level goes down, the glycogen is broken down into glucose and circulated
in the blood for use.
7. Hungry children, eating unripened litchi that fell on the ground, were susceptible to the
disaster! Sad!!
8. And the entire lot seemed to be heaping blame on Bihar's chief minister, Nitish Kumar, for the
deaths having been caused by the pathetic condition of the hospital!
Tailpiece.
Had got up at our usual time, gone through our chores and were ready well in time. Annie went about her work systematically and was out of the house by 1700 hrs. Had 'happy hours' at our neighbour's in the evening. The AM was all by himself as his family is away in Thiruvananthapuram.
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