One more in jaws of JE

Gorakhpur, Nov 11 (UNI) The Japanese encephalitis (JE) toll in Uttar Pradesh has mounted to a staggering figure of 329 with the death of one more child today.

Joint director health Dr Umakant Prasad said so far, 1,722 people suffering from JE had been rushed to the Baba Raghav Das Medical College here.

Almost 78 patients -- including six fresh cases -- are still under treatment.

The JE patients are trickling in from Gorakhpur, Maharajganj, Sant Kabirnagar, Deoria, Kushinagar, Basti, Siddharthnagar, Azamgarh, Gonda and Balrampur districts of UP.

At least 203 cases pertain to Bihar, while Nepal accounts for eight JE cases reported so far.

Of the 314 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 the monsoons 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 due to the mounting toll.

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