Patna, Jun 20 (IANS): After 118 children died due to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) in Muzaffarpur districts of Bihar, more than two dozen cases of AES deaths have been reported from other districts of Bihar in the last twenty four hours.

According to health officials here, the deaths have been reported from Patna, Bhagalpur, Banka, Sitamarhi, Samastipur, East Champaran and West Champaran.

As per the official figures, so far 96 children died in Muzaffarpur's state-run Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH), 16 in private Kejriwal hospital, two in Nalanda Medical College Hospital in Patna among others.

A senior health official in Muzaffarpur on Thursday, however, said that the situation has been improving here.

He said a team of specialist doctors sent by Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan reached SKMCH on Wednesday night. Ten additional ambulances have been put into services in the worst-affected areas. Besides, 16 Nodal Officers have been deployed at the private health centre's in the affected blocks.

Security at SKMCH's has been tightened in view of several TV news reporters violating norms and entering ICUs where AES patients were being kept.

Gopal Shankar Sahni of SKMCH said apart from malnutrition and consumption of litchi in empty stomach, heatwave condition triggers AES outbreak year after year.