Japanese Encephalitis death count climbs to 120

Gorakhpur, Aug 6 (UNI) The deadly Japanese Encephalitis (JE) toll in Uttar Pradesh has reached 120 with the death of three more child in the last 24 hours.

The fresh deaths were reported from one each in Deoria, Maharajganj and Bihar.

Official sources said since January 1 this year, 608 JE patients had reported at the Baba Raghav Das Medical College here, of which 120 people, including 15 from Bihar and two from Nepal have died.

In the last 24 hours, 15 fresh JE cases had come to light, while 135 JE patients were still receiving treatment 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.

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

The endemic afflicts eastern UP during monsoon 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 JAS KN BDP RN2014