Bhubaneswar: After reports of the death of more than 100 children in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur district due to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES), the city’s fruit vendors have stopped selling litchis. Apples, mangoes, grapes and bananas are available, but litchis can’t be found in markets due to its direct link with the deaths.
Health Minister Naba Das had ordered laboratory tests on litchi after a high-level meeting at the Secretariat. This has made both traders and buyers apprehensive about litchi.
Das said that no cases have been reported in the state, but we are careful. “We are handling the situation. I had ordered the department to conduct tests on litchis Tuesday,” he added.
People are avoiding the fruit now. Sangeeta Patnaik, a housewife, said that it is better to be cautious. “The death of over 100 children in Bihar shows that we must be aware whether a fruit is good for us or not,” she added.
Manoj Sahoo, a fruit seller, said that the application of acids and chemicals like carbide on fruits makes them toxic. He said that he had stopped selling litchis.
Sanjay Tripathy said, “We want healthy fruits. But litchis are proving to be dangerous. They are affecting the body’s immunity.”
Experts say that litchi contains a toxin named Methylene Cyclopro Pyl Glycine (MCPG) — a chemical that affects the brain adversely when body sugar levels are low due to undernourishment leading to death.
