Japanese Encephalitis toll at 535

Gorakhpur, Dec 18 (UNI) The vector-borne Japanese Encephalitis claimed one more life in the past 24 hours, taking the toll to 535 in eastern Uttar Pradesh so far.

Last year, JE had killed almost 1,000 people in UP, while the scourage has accounted for several thousands of lives in the eastern Uttar Pradesh region over the last decade.

Official sources said so far, 2,763 JE patients had reported at the Baba Raghav Das Medical College here and other district hospitals in the division, of which 535, including 63 from Bihar and 5 from Nepal had died.

Normally, the mosquito menace is maximum from June to September, however, this year the toll continues to rise even in December.

In the last 48 hrs, 5 fresh JE cases had come to light, while 50 others were still convalescing at various hospitals.

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

Gorakhpur has the dubious distinction of being the JE epicentre in the region.

The endemic afflicts eastern UP during monsoons every year and continues to take people under its jaws till the onset of winters.

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

UNI