Japanese Encephalitis claims four fresh lives, toll rose to 328

Gorakhpur, Nov 10 (UNI) The killer Japanese Encephalitis (JE) claimed four fresh lives of children in eastern Uttar Pradesh today taking the tally at 328.

The endemic returns with a vengeance every monsoon in the region also comprising the neighbouring districts of Bihar and Nepal to kill and permanently paralyse hundreds of children.

Joint Director, Health, Dr Umakant Prasad said here 78 patients including 14 new cases were still undergoing treatment at the Baba Raghav Das Medical College, Gorakhpur.

Over 1,100 patients have been discharged after treatment out of 1,700 odd cases reported since April this year.

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

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

At least 206 cases pertain to Bihar, while Nepal accounts for 8 JE cases reported so far. Of the total 328 JE deaths this year, 44 victims hailed from Bihar.

Gorakhpur has the dubious distiction of being the JE epicentre in the region.

The government had undertaken a massive vaccination drive against the vector-borne disease, however, the efficiency and penetration of the drive has come under cloud with the mounting toll.

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