JE claims 177 lives in UP

Gorakhpur, Sep 23 (UNI) The killer Japanese Encephalitis (JE) toll in Uttar Pradesh has reached a staggering figure of 177, following the death of one more child during the last 24 hrs.

So far, at least 1056 people, mostly children, sufferring from JE disease have been admitted at the medical college, of which 177 have died.

Joint director health Dr Umakant Prasad said here the inflow of patients was continuing at the famous Baba Raghav Das Medical College. As many as 89 patients including 14 fresh cases are undergoing treatment in hospital.

The patients hail from Gorakhpur, Deoria, Maharajganj, Sant Kabirnagar, Kushinagar, Basti, Siddharthnagar, Azamgarh, Gonda and Balrampur district of UP.

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

JE is a disease, which is spread to humans' by infected mosquitoes. It is one of a group of mosquito-borne virus diseases that can affect the central nervous system causing severe complications and even death. Among the survivors, 30 per cent would have serious brain damage including paralysis.

The government had undertaken a massive vaccination drive against the vector-borne disease, however, the efficacy and penetration of the drive has come under cloud with the mounting toll.

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