Japanese Encephalitis toll reaches 453

Gorakhpur, Nov 21 (UNI) The vector-borne Japanese Encephalitis claimed the life of one more person in the last 24 hours, taking the toll to 453 in eastern Uttar Pradesh so far.

Last year, JE had killed almost 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.

Official sources said so far, 2,491 JE patients had reported at the Baba Raghav Das Medical College here and other district hospitals in the division, of which 453, including 41 from Bihar and two from Nepal, had died.

In the last 48 hrs, 16 fresh JE cases had come to light, while 116 JE patients were still convalescing at the various hospitals.

Normally, the mosquito menace is maximum from June to September, however, this year the toll continues to rise even in November.

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.

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

UNI JAS AKJ RK1839