JE toll mounts to 284 in UP

Gorakhpur, Oct 31 (UNI) The Japanese Encephalitis (JE) toll in Uttar Pradesh has climbed to 284, following the death of two children during the last 24 hrs.

Till now, at least 1,574 people, mostly children, sufferring from JE have been admitted at the medical college, of which 284 have died.

Joint director health Dr Umakant Prasad said here the inflow of patients was continuing unbated at the famous Baba Raghav Das Medical College. At least 69 patients including eight fresh cases are undergoing treatment in hospital.

The patients hail from Gorakhpur, Deoria, Maharajganj, Sant Kabirnagar, Kushinagar, Basti, Siddharthnagar, Azamgarh, Gonda and Balrampur districts 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 usually starts as a flu-like illness, with fever, chills, exhaustion, headache, nausea and vomiting, while confusion and agitation can also occur in the initial stage.

It 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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