Deadly Japanese Encephalitis toll at 254

Gorakhpur, Oct 20 (UNI) The deadly Japanese Encephalitis (JE) toll in eastern Uttar Pradesh today reached 254, following the death of two more children in the last 24 hours.

Joint director, health Dr Umakant Prasad said the patients' inflow was continuing at the Baba Raghav Das Medical College here.

Since April, 1,441 people suffering from JE have been admitted at the medical college.

Ninety one patients, - including 11 fresh cases, - are still undergoing treatment, while 945 patients were discharged.

The patients belong to Gorakhpur, Deoria, Maharajganj, Sant Kabirnagar, Kushinagar, Basti, Siddharthnagar, Azamgarh, Gonda and Balrampur district of UP, besides several cases from Bihar and Nepal.

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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