Patna: Experts yesterday collected samples of litchi to identify the virus strain that has claimed the lives of over 50 children in Bihar.
“We have collected samples of litchi from orchards in affected areas for toxicology study. It will help us to identify the virus strain of the disease that remains a mystery till date,” said Prabhat Kumar Sinha, who is heading a six-member team from the Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences (RMRIMS).
“Now it will be known whether the disease was caused by litchi or not,” Sinha told IANS over the phone. “In fact, the disease still remains a mystery,” he said.
Some scientists, including Sinha, in their earlier reports had attributed the disease to litchies in Muzaffarpur district. “It is a subject for in-depth research,” he said.
Northern Bihar, including Muzaffarpur, accounts for over 62 percent of the country’s total litchi production. IANS
