據印度媒體報道，印度比哈邦（Bihar）每年荔枝盛產期必爆發癥狀類似日本腦炎的怪病，今年已奪走70多名貧童性命。
有人懷疑荔枝是罪魁禍首，印度衛生部門已采集樣本進行分析，沖擊了荔枝銷路，怪病成因卻仍莫衷一是。
在比哈邦北部的穆扎法布縣（Muzaffarpur）的夏希荔枝（Shahi Litchi）以獨特的風味和口感而聞名，但每年荔枝盛產季節，該區就會爆發急性腦炎綜合癥（AES）的怪病，而且病患全是當地貧窮線以下家庭的兒童。
部分原文報道如下：
Experts Wednesday 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.
原文鏈接：http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/Experts-Collect-Litchi-Samples-in-Bihar-to-Identify-Deadly-Virus/2014/06/11/article2275256.ece
日期：2014-06-17
