After the state Government’s failure to isolate the viruses responsible for Acute Encephalitis Syndrome  cases in Gorakhpur, the Centre has sought USA’s help.

On the invitation of the Government, a team of two virology experts from Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, are camping in Gorakhpur from August 28 and collecting blood samples for testing in their own laboratory.

Scientists at Pune-based National Institute of Virology found that unlike Japanese Encephalitis, which is a vector-borne disease — spreads through mosquitoes — the AES cases were caused by enteroviruses, which spreads through the oral-fecal route.

There are thousands of enteroviruses, and those responsible for the problem in Gorakhpur could not be identified. Experts from the US are expected to help in the identification of the viruses and check whether the present line of symptomatic treatment given to the patients is correct.

The experts are supposed to compile their report in America and give it to the Centre along with their recommendations.

“The Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) has a long time understanding with CDC and they have been assisting us in various projects. Thus, we thought to take their help in this case as well,” said Dr M M Gore, a senior scientist from National Institute of Virology, Pune.

On Sunday, the experts visited the houses of some of the patients to see the environment in which most of the patients were living. They also visited the BRD Medical College, Gorakhpur, to check the treatment given to the patients registered under AES. 

“We have high hopes from these experts. Year after year, we have been watching large number of children being affected with the virus and we have no other option but to provide them with symptomatic treatment,” said Dr Lalit Mohan, principal of BRD Medical College. “We hope that they will help us in identifying the clinical spectrum of the disease and suggest if there can be any better line of treatment,” added Mohan.

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