One more death, Japanese Encephalitis toll climbs to 42

Japanese Encephalitis today claimed another life, raising the toll to 42 in Odisha's Malkangiri even as the mosquito control drive was intensified in the tribal district as well as in neighbouring Koraput.
The death toll due to Japanese Encephalitis, which stood at 41 on Sunday, climbed to 42 with the death of a child at the intensive care unit (ICU) of the district headquarters hospital here, Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) US Mishra said.
Unconfirmed reports, however, put the toll at 45 due to the vector-borne disease which has affected around 22 villages.
At least 61 patients are undergoing treatment at the district headquarters hospital with six of them in the ICU, Malkangiri District Collector K Sudarshan Chakravarthy said.

Twelve patients were discharged today after being cured, he said, adding that so far, 62 people have been discharged from the hospital after treatment.
Cooked food is being given from 479 anganwadi centres in Kalimela and Korakonda blocks to pregnant and lactating women and the ailing children, the Collector said.

Arrangements have been made to provide accommodation as well as lunch and dinner to them in the affected villages, he said, adding that the objective was to tackle the problem of malnutrition by providing nutritious food.
As pigs are the carriers of the deadly virus, measures to
isolate the animals and keep them in special enclosures away from human habitats, have been intensified, a senior official said, adding that the virus is transmitted from pigs to mosquitoes and from mosquitoes to humans.

While 60 extra beds were arranged at the district headquarters hospital, two more were added in the ICU, he said.
The cleanliness drive has also been stepped up in adjoining Koraput district as a precautionary measure to check the mosquito menace and prevent the outbreak of Japanese Encephalitis.
Steps were taken for spraying of mosquito repellent, while veterinary officials were collecting blood samples of pigs for tests, said Sub-Collector Krutibas Rout.
An awareness campaign has been launched highlighting the advantages of using mosquito nets, he added.