India, June 18 -- At least 100 children have died in Muzaffarpur this summer from acute encephalitis syndrome (AES), which the state government and district administration are blaming on hypoglycaemia (sudden fall in blood sugar), heat wave, and inadequate intensive care units (ICU) in hospitals. What has conveniently been left unsaid is that the district administration, yet again, has failed to respond to an annual outbreak of encephalitis that severely affects 11 districts, including Muzaffarpur, with seasonal regularity. While symptoms of Japanese encephalitis (JE) and AES are similar -inflammation of the membrane of the brain that leads to sudden-onset fever, headache, disorientation, tremors, convulsions, and paralysis - the cause is different. Vaccine-preventable JE is a mosquito-borne flavivirus from the same genus as dengue and yellow fever viruses....