Over 50 die in Assam due to Japanese Encephalitis

Assam has reported 51 deaths due to Japanese Encephalitis so far this year but the state health department described it as a 'success' as the death toll was 110 less than the last year.

Japanese Encephalitis, a virus spread by the bite of infected mosquitos, posed a serious challenge for the state health department in the past few years as it caused more than 150 deaths almost every year.

According to a status report of Japanese Encephalitis in Assam 2020, the state reported 318 cases till September 9 of which 51 persons died. Last year, 642 cases were reported till December while 161 people had died.

Most of the deaths this year have been reported from Darrang, Barpeta, Sonitpur, Morigaon, Sivasagar, Kamrup and Golapara districts.

"The health department has been able to contain the spread of Japanese Encephalitis this year due to rigorous awareness activities, advertisements through newspapers, TV,

Radio, social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, regular follow up with districts, and the community participation by including the Panchayati Raj Institutions, religious leaders, youths and women. The number of cases has come down especially in the endemic districts such as Sivasagar, Dibrugarh and Lakhimpur and the districts wherein the Adult J E vaccination had been conducted in 2020 (Kokrajhar, South Salmara and Golapara)," said the report.

Another health department official, however, said the number of JE cases came down significantly this year as people remained indoors due to the Covid-19 pandemic. "JE happens mainly in areas with agricultural activities but this year such activities was less due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Also, people are more careful about their health this year due to the pandemic," he said.

The department also decided to provide an allowance of Rs 1,000 to those infected with JE where government ambulance service was not available. Financial assistance up to Rs 1 lakh is also being provided to the patient undergoing treatment at private nursing homes. "So far 19 beneficiaries have been provided the financial assistance of Rs 1 lakh each," it said.