Assam: Japanese Encephalitis Death Toll Rises to 71

Guwahati, July 13, 2019:

The deadly vector-borne disease Japanese Encephalitis has now claimed 71 lives in Assam. As per the latest reports, a total of 334 Japanese Encephalitis positive cases have been reported in the state as of 12 July, out of which 71 people have died.

Three persons died due to the disease on Thursday: 2 from Dibrugarh, and 1 from Goalpara. Altogether, 165 people are reported to have died due to JE and the Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES).

Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said that JE cases are on the decline, but afflicted people admitted in hospitals are still not out of danger. Taking to Twitter, Himanta Biswa wrote: “JE /AES positive cases are on a decline but our concern is with patients already in Hospitals. A total of 140 JE/AES patients are admitted as in-patients. Out of them 103 are in govt and 37 are in pvt hospitals. Out of 140, 40 are in ICU,10 patients are in ICU with ventilator.”

Meanwhile, the Assam Government, through a press statement has informed that drugs like Paracetamol, Mannitol, IV fluids and other antibiotics are available free of cost in every public health institution.

All District Hospitals and Medical Colleges have designated beds for AES/Japanese Encephalitis cases. Ventilator Facilities are available in nice districts of Assam, i.e. Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Sonitpur, Barpeta, Cachar, Golaghat, Kamrup (M), Lakhimpur, Sivasagar. An ICU in Goalpara Civil Hospital has been operationalized recently.

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