JE claims lives of 5 children; toll at 106

Gorakhpur, Aug 1 (UNI) The vector-borne deadly Japanese Encephalitis (JE) toll reached 106, following the death of five more children in the last 24 hours.

The fresh deaths were reported from Gorakhpur (2), Kushinagar (1), Basti (1) and Bihar (1).

Last year, the deadly JE had killed almost 1,000 people in UP, while the scourage has already killed several thousands of people in the region over the last decade.

According to official sources, so far, 523 JE patients had come to the Baba Raghav Das Medical College here, of which 106 had died.

In the last 24 hours, 16 people were admitted to hospital. Almost 105 JE patients were still convalescing.

JE patients mostly trickle 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 monsoon every year and continues to take people under its jaws till the onset of winters.

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