Encephalitis toll 469

In the last one month,154 people have died due to encepahilitis while 776 new cases have been reported in eastern UP districts.

Even after the onset of winters,the encephalitis cases are yet to decrease,with around 15 to 20 patients being admitted in BRD Medical College,Gorakhpur which treats most patients of encephalitis in eastern UP every day.

As per the latest reports of the health department,the total number of encephalitis cases in the state has reached 2,505 and deaths 469 till October 31 in UP. Last year,3145 cases of encephalitis and 450 deaths were reported till October 31,2012.

On October 31,BRD Medical College reported 13 deaths due to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) and 12 new admissions.

Director,Communicable Disease,Dr MK Gupta was sent to Gorakhpur to review the situation today,said Dr AS Rathore,DG Health.

Among districts with most AES cases this year are Kushinagar with 788 cases and 90 deaths,Deoria with 630 cases and 77 deaths,Gorakhpur with 730 cases and 132 deaths,Maharajganj with 379 cases and 47 deaths,Sant Kabir Nagar with 218 cases and 35 deaths and Siddhartha Nagar with 147 cases and 27 deaths.

Japanese Encephalitis (JE),a more virulent strain of encephalitis,too,continues to spread. A total of 246 cases and 38 deaths of JE have been reported from these districts so far. In five districts,all encephalitis cases have been confirmed as that of JE,including Barabanki and Sultanpur with eight cases,Amethi with six,Bareilly with 3 and Ambedkarnagar with one case.

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We are admitting 15 cases every day,the deaths are also high. We expect the number of patients to go down, said Dr KP Kushwaha,head of pediatrics department,BRD Medical College,Gorakhpur.

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