Japanese encephalitis toll mounts to 324

Gorakhpur, Nov 9 (UNI) With two more people succumbing to Japanese encaphilitis today, the death toll due to the vector-borne disease in eastern Uttar Pradesh and the neighbouring districts of Bihar and Nepal has climbed to 324.

The endemic, which returns with a vengeance every monsoon in the region to kill, main and permanently paralyse hundreds of people, especially children, claimed two more lives today, while 9 fresh cases of JE were reported.

The Joint Director, Health, Dr Umakant Prasad, said 73 patients were still undergoing treatment at the Baba Raghav Das Medical College, Gorakhpur.

Almost 1,131 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 JE cases reported so far. Of the 324 JE deaths, 44 victims hailed 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 disease, however, the efficacy and penetration of the drive has come under cloud with the mounting toll.

UNI VS RL MIR RAI1847