Japanese Encephalitis toll at 350

Gorakhpur, Oct 23 (UNI) The vector-borne deadly Japanese Encephalitis (JE) toll reached 350, following the death of five more children in the last 24 hours.

Last year, the deadly disease killed almost 1,000 people in UP, while the scourge has claimed the lives of several thousands in the region over the last decade.

Official sources said so far, 1,988 JE patients had reported at the Baba Raghav Das Medical College and other district hospitals in the division, of which 350 had died.

Meanwhile, 18 new patients were admitted to the Gorakhpur medical college, while 165 people were recuperating in the medical college and other district hospitals.

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

Gorakhpur has the dubious distiction of being the JE epicentre in the region.

The endemic afflicts eastern UP during the monsoon every year and continues to affect people till the onset of winters.

UNI