Japanese Encephalitis toll at 356

Gorakhpur, Nov 24 (UNI) The deadly Japanese Encephalitis (JE) continued to kill children in eastern Uttar Pradesh with the toll mounting to 356, following two more deaths today.

Since April, almost 2,000 people suffering from JE have been admitted to different hospitals in the region, majorly at Baba Raghav Das Medical College here.

Joint Director health Dr Umakant Prasad said 51 patients are still under treatment.

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

Of the total cases, about 210 pertained to Bihar, while Nepal accounted for 8 JE cases reported so far.

Out of the 356 JE casualties, 45 victims hailed from Bihar.

Gorakhpur has the dubious distinction 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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