Following the death of over 100 children in Muzaffarpur and a few more districts in Bihar due to hypoglycaemic encephalopathy, litchi sales has witnessed a 15-20% drop. According to a June 18 health ministry press release, “high percentage” of children who died had low blood glucose level. Bihar government had issued an advisory asking parents … Continue reading It is safe to eat litchi fruit: Jacob John
Litchi
Explained: How litchi toxin is causing deaths in undernourished children in Muzaffarpur
Explained: How hypoglycaemic encephalopathy, which has caused most of the deaths in children in Muzaffarpur, is very different from encephalitis. And how the toxin in litchi is causing low blood sugar level, coma and even death in only undernourished children and how it can be prevented and treated. Acute encephalitis syndrome in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur has … Continue reading Explained: How litchi toxin is causing deaths in undernourished children in Muzaffarpur
Litchi toxin kills over 100 children in Muzaffarpur
The death of over 100 children in about a month in Muzaffarpur district of north Bihar due to low blood sugar level is caused by a toxin present in litchi fruit. When under-nourished children eat the fruit and go to bed on empty stomach, the blood glucose falls sharply causing severe brain malfunction (encephalopathy) and … Continue reading Litchi toxin kills over 100 children in Muzaffarpur
Waking up to MCPG toxin’s role in causing litchi mystery disease
There is evidence that as late as March 2014, Delhi’s National Centre for Disease Control, India (NCDC) and Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta (CDC) researchers were in the dark about the possible role of methylenecyclopropylglycine (MCPG) toxin present in litchi in causing illness in children aged 15 years or younger in Muzaffarpur, Bihar … Continue reading Waking up to MCPG toxin’s role in causing litchi mystery disease
Lancet gets in touch with Current Science authors on litchi disease ethics issue
In response to an article I wrote on February 3 about Dr. Jacob John raising ethics issues about the way the authors of the Lancet Global Health paper had failed to properly acknowledge his team’s work on Muzaffarpur mystery disease, the journal has got in touch with Dr. Mukul Das, one of the authors of the Current Science … Continue reading Lancet gets in touch with Current Science authors on litchi disease ethics issue
Litchi: Controversy erupts over Muzaffarpur mystery disease study
The scientist who investigated the mystery disease that proved fatal for many 15-year old children in Muzaffarpur, Bihar at the instance of the State government has raised ethics issues about the way the research has been published by the journal Lancet Global Health on January 30. “Not giving due credit for work done by others … Continue reading Litchi: Controversy erupts over Muzaffarpur mystery disease study
Toxins in litchi kill children in Bihar
Unexplained illness in children aged 15 years and younger in Muzaffarpur, Bihar, India, which claims many lives during an outbreak that occurs in May-June, has been solved. Scientists from the U.S. and India have found that consumption of litchi fruit and skipping evening meal can result in very low blood glucose level (less than 70 … Continue reading Toxins in litchi kill children in Bihar
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