Japanese Encephalitis toll mounts to 320

Gorakhpur, Nov 7 (UNI) The deadly vector-borne Japanese Encephalitis (JE) continued to kill unabated in eastern Uttar Pradesh with the toll mounting to 320, following six more deaths in the last 24 hrs.

Joint director health Dr Umakant Prasad said 1,683 JE patients had been admitted at the Baba Raghav Das Medical College here.

Almost 80 patients including 18 fresh cases are still under treatment.

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

At least 205 cases pertain to Bihar, while Nepal accounts for 8 JE cases reported so far. Of the 320 JE deaths, 44 victims hailed from Bihar.

Gorakhpur has the dubious distinction 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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