Japanese Encephalitis toll rose to 322

Gorakhpur, Nov 8 (UNI) Japanese Encphalitis (JE) claimed two more lives today, taking the toll to 322 while 10 fresh cases were reported.

Joint Director (Health) Umakant Prasad said 68 patients were still undergoing treatment at the Baba Raghav Das Medical College, Gorakhpur.

Almost 1,130 patients have been discharged after treatment, of the 1,700 odd cases reported since April this year.

Last year, the disease had claimed over 1,000 lives in the region.

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

At least 206 cases pertain to Bihar, while Nepal accounts for 8 cases reported so far. Of the 322 JE deaths, 44 victims hail from Bihar.

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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