According to union health ministry, “Twenty-three districts of eastern Uttar Pradesh are endemic to Japanese encephalitis
.”
The ministry disclosed that seven districts in Gorakhpur and Basti division of Uttar Pradesh--Gorakhpur, Kushinagar, Deoria, Maharajganj, Sant Kabir Nagar, Basti and Siddarth Nagar--account for more than 90 percent of the deaths in the state.
Official sources reveal that 476 persons have succumbed to the virus in the state with the majority of victims in the outbreak being children of up to 15 years of age.
In spite of 83 percent of the children hailing from the 23 endemic regions of Uttar Pradesh being vaccinated, the situation is grim.
The state of affairs in Bihar is only a shade better with 30 falling prey to the ailment and another 140 infected under medical intervention.
Reasons for spread of the communicable disease
JE is synonymous with Uttar Pradesh. The state is particularly hit by the disease every year, raising issues of hygiene and immunization.
The seasonal disease usually occurs in the summers and in the rainy season when mosquito breeding is at its peak due to extensive flood waters from Nepal and stagnant waters in the state.
The crux of the problem is that the average patient is poor, lives in villages, is undernourished, and in the age group of one to 15 years. The problem is compounded by the primary health centers lacking adequate facilities and trained staff to cope with the crisis of fresh cases streaming in every day.
About Japanese Encephalitis
JE is a potentially severe viral infection, locally referred to as brain fever since it causes inflammation of the brain tissue.
It spreads to humans when bitten by infected mosquitoes. The mosquitoes breed in agricultural regions and become infected with the virus, usually by biting infected pigs.
The symptoms of the virus are high grade fever, headaches, respiratory problems and convulsions. The disease affects the central nervous system, leading to severe complications like coma, permanent brain damage and sometimes death. There are instances of survivors left mentally or physically handicapped.
Diagnosis is based on tests of blood or spinal fluid. Unfortunately, there is no specific treatment for the disease and there are no anti-viral drugs to combat the virus.
According to doctors, the fatality rate due to Japanese Encephalitis is 28-56 percent.
What the government is doing?
This disease is also quite prevelant in Assam. This summer it was kind of epidemic in some of the districts. It 's a pity that the authorities are still not doing anything when people are dying like termites.
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