Japanese Encephalitis fury continues, 3 more killed

Gorakhpur, Dec 4 (UNI) The fatal vector-borne menace, Japanese Encephalitis (JE), continued to target children in eastern Uttar Pradesh with the toll mounting to 510 following three more deaths in the last 24 hours.

Since January, 2, 2007, about 683 JE patients had been admitted at the famous Baba Raghav Das Medical College here and other hospitals of the division, of which 510, including 60 Biharis and four Nepalis, succumbed.

Almost 78 patients -- including 9 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 undertakens 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