JE claims six more lives; toll at 226

Gorakhpur, Sep 9 (UNI) The vector-borne Japanese Encephalitis (JE) toll in eastern Uttar Pradesh today mounted to 226 after the deaths of six more children today.

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

According to sources, among the deceased one child belonged to Bihar, whereas two were of Kushinagar and one each of Gorakhpur, Deoria and Maharajganj district.

Sources said this year so far, 1190 JE patients had come to the Baba Raghav Das Medical College and Gorakhpur district hospital, of which 226, including two of Nepal and 19 of Bihar, succumbed.

Today, nine new cases patients were admitted, while 11 were relieved and 154 were still in remission.

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

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