'Kala azar' kills 12 children in Bihar

All the children, affected over the last fortnight, belong to poor families in the villages of Yujirtola and Kujurtola in Bhojjpur district. And officials fear the toll could go up.

The dozen children suffering from the disease, which is fatal if not treated, are said to be seriously ill in the absence of medicines and proper medical care.

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Kala azar, or leishmaniasis, is transmitted by sand flies and characterised by irregular bouts of fever, weight loss, anaemia and swelling of the spleen and liver.

Local councillor Pardeep Singh Pankaj said most of the deaths took place because of the poor, in fact non-existent, health facilities in the village. The two villages had become a breeding ground for kala azar because of the unhygienic living conditions and the filth all around, he said.

He added: "There is no facility of drainage of dirty and polluted water from the villages. The water stinks resulting in the spread of the disease."