Japanese Encephalitis nearing 500 in UP

Gorakhpur, Nov 30 (UNI) The deadly Japanese Encephalitis (JE), continued to claim lives of children in eastern Uttar Pradesh with the toll nearing 500, following five more deaths in the last 24 hours.

Since January, 2,650 JE patients had been admitted at the famous Baba Raghav Das Medical College here and other hospitals of the division, of which 497, including 58 Biharis and four Nepalis, have succumbed.

Twelve more people had been admitted to the medical college, where 84 cases are still recuperating. Whereas, 13 patients were convalescing at other hospitals of the divison.

The JE patients trickle from Gorakhpur, Deoria, Maharajganj, Sant Kabirnagar, Kushinagar, Ballia, Gonda, Bahraich, Mau, Basti, Siddharthnagar, Azamgarh, Gonda and Balrampur districts of Uttar Pradesh.

Gorakhpur has the dubious distiction of being the JE epicentre in the region. The endemic afflicts eastern UP during monsoon every year.

Last year, the killer disease had taken almost 1,000 people under its jaws.

The government undertakes a massive vaccination drive against the vector-borne disease every year, however, the efficacy and penetration of the drive comes under cloud with the mounting toll.

UNI