UP govt monitoring Japanese Encephalitis in eastern districts

The Uttar Pradesh government today said it was monitoring the situation arising out of Japanese Encephalitis in certain eastern districts of the state.
Last year alone over 200 patients died in BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur where patients from neighbouring districts as well as from Nepal undergo treatment.
At a meeting of the state cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, it was decided that a training programme will be conducted for doctors of primary health centres and community health centres, so that JE and Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) patients get timely and speedy relief.
Briefing mediapersons, Health Minister Siddharth Nath Singh said his junior minister Mahendra Singh will start touring JE and AES-prone 37 districts in the state to get a first hand idea of the prevailing situation.

The Health Minister said it has been decided to increase 10 beds in district hospitals and the number of oxygen cylinders.
JE is caused by the mosquito-borne Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV). Domestic pigs and wild birds (especially herons) carry the virus.

This disease is most prevalent in Southeast Asia, South Asia and East Asia.
Acute Encephalitis Syndrome is a group of clinical neurologic manifestation caused by wide range of viruses, bacteria, fungus, parasites, chemical and toxins.
Infants and elderly people are particularly vulnerable to Encephalitis which causes inflammation of the brain. The symptoms include high fever and vomiting, with extreme cases reporting incidents of seizures, paralysis and coma.