2 more under the jaws of JE

Gorakhpur, Nov 29 (UNI) The killer Japanese Encephalitis (JE) disease continued to kill children in Eastern Uttar Pradesh, with the toll mounting to 365, following two more deaths today.

Since April, almost 1,873 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 39 patients, including six new cases were still under treatment.

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

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

Out of the 363 JE casualties, 45 victims hailed from Bihar.

Gorakhpur has the dubious distiction of being the JE epicentre in the region. The endemic disease 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 a cloud with the mounting toll.

UNI VS ATI PB RN2008