Japanese Encephalitis claims 6 more, toll at 62

Gorakhpur, Aug 12 (UNI) The killer vector-borne menace, Japanese Encephalitis (JE), continued to claim lives of children in eastern Uttar Pradesh with the toll mounting to 62, following six more deaths in the last 24 hours.

Talking to UNI today, Joint director Medical Health and Family Welfare Dr L P Rawat said since January, over 357 JE patients had been admitted at the famous Baba Raghav Das Medical College here, of which 62 succumbed.

The victims hailed from Kushinagar, Maharajganj, Basti and Siddharthnagar.

Almost 71 patients -- including 12 fresh cases -- are in remission. Some patients are also recuperating at the Gorakhpur and Deoria district hospitals.

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

Gorakhpur has the dubious distiction of being the JE epicentre in the region. The endemic afflicts eastern UP during monsoon every year. Last year, the killer disease had taken almost 1,000 people under its jaws.

The government has undertaken a massive vaccination drive against the vector-borne disease every year, however, the efficacy and penetration of the drive comes under cloud with the mounting toll.

UNI