Since 1995, a disease of unknown origin was responsible for children getting sudden seizures, fits and slipping in and out of consciousness.

According to a CNN report, 122 out of 390 children have died of this mysterious disease. A new report published by The Lancet Global Health medical journal now claims to have found the source of the disease — The litchi.

Muzaffarpur in Bihar is the largest litchi farming area in India. Famous for it’s ‘Shahi Litchis’, it is the main source of revenue for the city, and now it’s the leading cause of children’s deaths.

Litchi, The Killer?

According to a study published in The Lancet Global Health, most of the sick children had consumed the fruit recently and were also six times more likely to have visited a fruit orchard in the last 24 hours.

The results said that children who fell ill were twice as likely to have skipped dinner –after spending a day at the orchard – which according to the researchers probably resulted in "night-time hypoglycaemia."

The Solution?

The Indian government issued a statement, on Wednesday, advising children to henceforth "minimise litchi fruit consumption" in affected areas, and eat an evening meal during the "outbreak period."

However, the researchers said there are still some questions surrounding the mystery disease. For example, while orchards surround many villages in the area, typically only one child in each village develops the illness. The report suggests it may have something to do with genetics.

(Source: CNN)