Japanese encephalitis epidemic intensifies in Odisha, death toll escalates to 63

Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: The recent death of three more children due to Japanese Encephalities has escalated the death toll to 63, as per latest reports.

This death toll has crossed 60 in six weeks in Odisha's Malkangiri district, where a central team is already present to assess the situation created due to Encephalities.

Three children died while undergoing treatment at the district headquarters hospital in Bhubaneswar, Chief District Medical Officer Dr US Mishra said.

Unconfirmed reports, however, put the number of deaths due to the vector-borne disease at 65, which has affected around 100 villages spread over six of the seven blocks in the district.

At present, five affected children are being treated at the district headquarter hospital and two of them are in the Intensive Care Unit, a senior district official said.

Meanwhile, a six-member central team of doctors visited the affected areas of the district to review the situation. The team is examining the circumstances that led to spread of the disease and to suggest measures to check it, officials said.

The team members visited the district headquarters hospital here and held discussion with doctors and staff to assess the situation.

The disease, which originates from pigs and spreads to humans, mostly children, through mosquitoes, had surfaced in the district around 44 days ago.

A large number of pigs have been isolated and shifted to over 140 specially prepared enclosures set up away from human habitations, while fogging and spraying of mosquito repellents have been intensified in more than 100 villages, the official said.

(With PTI inputs)