Patna/Muzaffarpur: Three more children with symptoms of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) died at a hospital in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district Friday taking the toll to 139. According to the Muzaffarpur district administration, all the three deaths were reported from the government-run SKMCH hospital, which alone has accounted for 104 casualties since June 1.

The Bihar health department had on Thursday released state-wide figures putting the total toll following the outbreak, which has spread across 16 districts, at 136. With the latest three casualties the death toll rose to 139 though unconfirmed reports claim that the number has crossed 150. Hundreds of children are admitted to hospitals -- mostly at Muzaffarpur's SKMCH and privately-owned Kejriwal hospital -- for treatment of AES which is characterized by sudden onset of high fever and convulsions. The high number of deaths this year has been blamed on hypoglycemia or sudden drop in blood sugar levels, which some experts attribute to malnutrition and consumption of unripe litchi -- a fruit grown in abundance in north Bihar -- on an empty stomach and failure to administer glucose within four hours of the onset of fever and other symptoms.