Japanese encephalitis claims 765 lives in 2012

The total 765 deaths due to the disease till September one included 214 in Uttar Pradesh, 213 in Assam, 40 in Tamil Nadu and 15 in West Bengal, Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad told Rajya Sabha in a written reply today.

The Health Ministry has identified 171 Japanese encephalitis-prone districts in the country, 60 of which are in Assam, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, he said.

The disease claimed 1,169 lives last year, 679 in 2010 and 774 in 2009, according to a Health Ministry data.