“It is not the season for the spread of the disease, but we still have 11 children suffering with encephalitis. It is a major problem in this area, with the mortality rate anywhere between 27 and 60 per cent,” said Dr K P Khuswah, a senior professor at paediatrics department of the Gorakhpur Medical College. He said minocycline could be very beneficial, but it requires proper clinical trial.

“We attended a meeting with officials of the Department of Biotechnology in New Delhi and they are willing to collaborate. At present, we are in the process of preparing a proposal to be submitted with the state government. Once the approval comes, it will be placed before the ethical committee of the college. We can start the trials after the committee’s recommendation.”