Japanese Encephalitis death toll reaches 48 in Assam

As many as 48 people have died in Assam due to Japanese Encephalitis. Out of 33 districts, 29 are affected by the disease and the other four, namely Dima Hasao, Udalguri, Karbi Anglong and Sonitpur are the only districts which have not been affected by the outbreak.

“The JE cases reported are 159 and JE death cases are 48 as on July 4. Surveillance has been beefed up,” said a bulletin from the office of JVN Subramanyam, director, National Health Mission, Assam.

In order to contain the outbreak, a round-the-clock control centre has been set up by state government officials, which has been supplying diagnostic kits to district hospitals and is also doing fogging in villages.

“The team is rigorously working in the field area for blood slide collection and fever survey,” the bulletin read.

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With 15 more lives giving in to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) that has captured the city of Muzaffarpur in Bihar, the death toll rose to 128 on June 19.

India Today, as per its sources, reported that as many as 418 people are admitted with the same disease. More than 300 children are admitted in the Shri Krishna Medical College and Hospital (SKMCH) while another 144 are admitted in Kejriwal Hospital.

The SKMCH has alone reported over 90 deaths since June 1.

What is unfortunate that the state government has failed to bring in measures to put a check on the same despite knowing that this thing recurs every year, taking several lives.