Japanese Encephalitis claims 2 more lives, toll at 486

Gorakhpur, Nov 28 (UNI) Japanese Encephalitis (JE), continued to target children in eastern Uttar Pradesh with the toll mounting to 486, following 2 more deaths in the last 24 hours.

Since January, 2,623 JE patients had been admitted at the famous Baba Raghav Das Medical College here and other hospitals of the division, of which 486, including 58 Biharis and four Nepalis, succumbed.

Almost 143 patients including 14 fresh cases are still in remission.

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 distinction 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