Japanese Encephalitis toll climbs to 136

Gorakhpur, Aug 14 (UNI) The deadly Japanese Encephalitis (JE) toll in Uttar Pradesh had reached to 136 with the death of a children today.

The fresh death was reported from Gorakhpur.

Official sources said since January 1, 745 JE cases had been reported at the Baba Raghav Das Medical College here, of which 136 people, including 15 from Bihar and two from neighbouring country Nepal had died.

At least 34 fresh cases were reported today, while 163 JE patients were still convalescing at various 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.

Last year, JE had killed over 1,000 people in UP, while the scourage has accounted for several thousands of lives in the eastern Uttar Pradesh region over the last decade.

The epidemic afflicts eastern UP during monsoon every year and continues to take people under its jaws till the onset of winters.

The government undertakes massive vaccination drive against the disease every year, however, the efficacy and reach of the drive comes under cloud with the mounting toll.

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