JE claims 349 lives in UP

Gorakhpur, Nov 20 (UNI) The toll due to the killer Japanese Encephalitis (JE) in Uttar Pradesh has mounted a staggering figure of 349, following the death of three children today.

Joint director health Dr Umakant Prasad said till now, 1,804 people suffering from JE had been rushed to the Baba Raghav Das Medical College here.

Almost 60 patients -- including 11 fresh cases -- are still under treatment.

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

Nepal accounts for eight JE cases reported so far. Of the 349 JE deaths, 45 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 vector-borne disease, however, the efficacy and penetration of the drive has come under cloud with the mounting toll.

UNI ATI VD ND1840