45 deaths due to Japanese Encephalitis in UP, Bihar in 2013

A total of 45 deaths due to Japanese Encephalitis (JE) have been reported from eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar during this year, parliament was told Tuesday .

All the deaths have been in eastern UP, Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply.

He said while the two eastern UP districts of Gorakhpur and Basti reported 277 cases, 14 were reported from Bihar.

JE is a mosquito-borne disease, the symptoms of which include fever, headache and convulsions. It has a high mortality rate among children.

Azad said a national programme for prevention and control of JE was started with a multi-pronged strategy in 60 high endemic districts of five states, including UP and Bihar.

Some of the aims of the programme were strengthening and expansion of JE vaccination in affected districts, strengthening of surveillance, vector control, access to safe drinking water and proper sanitation facilities to the target population in affected areas, he said.

During the current year, an amount of Rs.346.9 million and Rs.603.83 million is allocated to the states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar respectively for controlling the disease, he added.