Japanese Encephalitis toll mounts to 181

Gorakhpur, Sep 25 (UNI) The deadly vector-borne menace, Japanese Encephalitis (JE), continued to claim lives of children in eastern Uttar Pradesh with the toll mounting to 181, following three more deaths today.

Joint director health Dr Umakant Prasad said since April about 1,100 people suffering from JE had been admitted at the famous Baba Raghav Das Medical College here.

Almost 83 patients -- including 13 fresh cases -- are still under treatment. Seven JE patients respectively are also recuperating at the Gorakhpur and Deoria district hospitals.

The JE patients belong to Gorakhpur, Deoria, Maharajganj, Sant Kabirnagar, Kushinagar, Basti, Siddharthnagar, Azamgarh, Gonda and Balrampur district of UP.

At least 144 cases pertain to Bihar, while Nepal accounts for six JE cases reported so far. Of the 181 JE deaths, 29 victims hailed from Bihar, Dr Prasad informed.

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

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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