Japanese Encephalitis: Death Toll mounts to 28 in Assam

Guwahati: The National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) Joint Director and State Program officer Dr. Umesh Phangsu on Tuesday stated before the media that around 28 people died due to Japanese Encephalitis in the state since the past few months.

As per the NRHM report, there have been around 100 cases where patients are being treated for Japanese Encephalitis, the Joint Director of National Rural Health Mission informed.

On the recommendation of the Union Health Minister, Harsh Vardhan, a four-member central team, including senior officials from the National Vector Borne Diseases Control Programme had visited Assam recently to take stock of the situation.

Additional Secretary Sanjeev Kumar led the four-member central team, has also asked the people not to panic and have informed that the situation is now under control but advised people to take preventive measures for the next two months – July and August.

It is to be noted parts of Upper Assam including Jorhat, Golaghat, Dibrugarh, Lakhimpur, and Lower Assam District of Kamrup were affected by the deadly disease.

Centre has even provided funds for the strengthening of two Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PMR) departments at Dibrugarh Medical College and Guwahati Medical College.

Meanwhile, an awareness campaign National Rural Health Mission had launched an awareness campaign on Japanese Encephalitis in various schools and colleges, Civil Hospitals in all the districts of Assam, etc.

Japanese encephalitis (JE) is an infection of the brain caused by the Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV). While most infections result in little or no symptoms, occasional inflammation of the brain occurs. In these cases, symptoms may include headache, vomiting, fever, confusion, and seizures.

Most JEV infections are mild (fever and headache) or without apparent symptoms, but approximately 1 in 250 infections results in severe clinical illness. The incubation period is between 4-14 days. In children, gastrointestinal pain and vomiting may be the dominant initial symptoms. Severe disease is characterized by rapid onset of high fever, headache, neck stiffness, disorientation, coma, seizures, spastic paralysis and ultimately death. The case-fatality rate can be as high as 30% among those with disease symptoms.

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