JE claims five more lives; toll at 220

Gorakhpur, Sep 8 (UNI) The vector-borne Japanese Encephalitis (JE) toll in eastern Uttar Pradesh today mounted to 220 after the deaths of five more children today.

The scourage had killed several thousands people in the region over the last decade.

According to sources, among the deceased two children belonged to Bihar, whereas one each was from Gorakhpur, Kushinagar and Maharajganj districts.

Sources said this year so far, 1181 JE patients had come to the Baba Raghav Das Medical College and Gorakhpur district hospital, of which 220, including two from Nepal and 18 from Bihar, succumbed.

In the last 24 hrs, 23 new cases had come to light, while 172 JE patients were still in remmision.

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.

UNI PDM JT AS1853