100 encephalitis deaths in 20 days

The health department officials have blamed the BRD Medical College,Gorakhpur,which treats most number of encephalitis cases in the state,for the rise.

“The term AES was formulated for surveillance purposes to trace every child with fever and associated symptoms and confirm the case later through pathological investigations. But,unfortunately,pathological tests are not being confirmed at BRD Medical College and all types of patients,without definitive diagnosis,are being admitted and diagnosed as AES,which does not help in scaling down the burden resulting from the disease,” Director of Communicable Diseases Dr M K Gupta said.

Head of Pediatrics Department at BRD Medical College Dr K P Kushwaha,however,denied any escalated reporting of encephalitis.

“We confirm each case of AES through pathological investigation. Because of the state government’s denial mode,the exact picture of encephalitis is not coming forth,” he said.

Regarding the increase,Dr Kushwaha said that with monsoon,AES cases had to increase and are expected to further increase in September and October.

Even with the recent rise,though,the situation is still better than 2012 as by August 8 last year,the state had already reported 793 cases and 143 deaths due to encephalitis,along with six cases and two deaths from Japanese encephalitis,a more virulent strain of the disease.

No cases of JE have been reported this year so far in the state. Encephalitis has killed over 4,000 patients in 20 UP districts in the past eight years.

In 2012,a total of 3,484 people were reported to have been affected by encephalitis with 557 succumbing to the disease.

As many as 39 of these cases were of JE with 23 deaths.

First dengue death in state,more suspected cases pour in

LUCKNOW: The death of a 35-year-old man in Gomti Nagar from dengue became the first to be reported this year from across the country even as Uttar Pradesh continued to report cases of dengue.

Manoj Kumar Yadav,a resident of Vipul Khand,was admitted at Sahara Hospital on Sunday after he was tested positive for dengue. He died while undergoing treatment in the critical

care unit of the hospital. “The patient died due to dengue shock syndrome,” hospital’s medical superintendent Dr H N Tripathi said.

The Chief Medical Officer of Lucknow,Dr S N S Yadav,however,denied any death resulting from dengue. “The hospital has not informed us of any death due to dengue or cases due to dengue so far,” said Dr Yadav.

Though suspected cases of dengue are being reported from Lucknow as well as from other parts of the state,they have not been recorded as dengue so far by the health department. Seven positive cases of dengue were reported until Thursday as per the health department figures.