Japanese Encephalitis Claims 9 Lives in Sonitpur District of Assam

A Correspondent

Tezpur: Nine persons have succumbed to Japanese Encephalitis (JE) this year in Sonitpur district. This has been confirmed by DMO Sonitpur on Friday. The victims were among 26 patients diagnosed with the mosquito–borne disease between January 1 and August 10 this year. Currently 4 persons are undergoing treatment said Sonitpur DMO Kakali Dutta. Symptoms of the JE, which usually take 5 to 15 days to develop, include fever, headache, vomiting, confusion, and difficulty in moving. JE is also known to cause swelling around the brain and, subsequently, result in the patient going into coma, thereby making it a serious disease that may cause death, said SK Bardaloi, Chief Medical & Health Officer, Sonitpur. Meanwhile, the Health Department has claimed to have carried out camps for blood sample collection, fogging and leaflet, awareness meetings in the affected areas as a means of prevention of the disease though vaccination is considered to be the best means of prevention.”