Encephalitis claims 13 lives in Jorhat (Update)

A massive outbreak of encephalitis has claimed 13 lives in Jorhat, Assam.

While six died due to Japanese Encephalitis (JE), seven lost their lives to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) in Jorhat District.

A total 22 cases of Japanese encephalitis and 12 cases of AES were reported in the district hospitals.

"Today, 34 cases have been reported. Out of that 22 have found to be positive of Japanese encephalitis and others are AES and till now six have died of JE positive and seven of AES," said Joint Director of Health Services, Jorhat, Mobidur Rehman.

Japanese encephalitis is characterised by inflammation of the brain and high fever.

The first case in the district was reported on January 13. The suspected JE patients are undergoing treatment in Jorhat Medical College and Hospital (JMC&H).

Meanwhile, Rehman added preventive measures are being taken up by the health department with the support of district administration to let not the disease spread.

"We are organising awareness camp on village level, PHE level, sub-center level. Up till now 207 numbers of awareness camps have been organised," he said.

The patients were treated under Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and those with symptoms were admitted to general wards for close monitoring and medication.

Cases of deadly mosquito-borne Japanese encephalitis have risen nearly five-fold in five years in Assam as a result of warming weather and changing rainfall, health experts say.

The symptoms for encephalitis include high fever, vomiting and, in severe cases, seizures, paralysis and coma. Infants and elderly people are particularly vulnerable.

It is most often caused by eating or drinking contaminated food or water, from mosquito or other insect bites or through breathing in respiratory droplets from an infected person.

Outbreaks of the virus tend to occur in poor, flood-hit areas, where monsoons have left pools of stagnant water, allowing mosquitoes to breed and infect villagers.

Health department officials say changes in agricultural patterns may be affecting the rise in encephalitis cases. Warmer conditions have allowed farmers to grow more crops of rice each year, which means rice paddies with standing water offer a breeding ground for mosquitoes for a larger part of each year.