GUWAHATI, Aug 20 - With the majority of the workforce in the Health department engaged in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic, the rate of sample collection to detect Japanese Encephalitis (JE) has gone down considerably in Assam compared to last year, a source in the State Health department told�The Assam Tribune.�
The State has so far recorded as many as 311 positive cases of JE this year. Correspondingly, the disease has claimed 44 lives across the State and around 29 patients are still undergoing treatment.
As per information provided by a source in the National Health Mission, Assam, Sonitpur tops the chart with 24 positive JE cases followed by Barpeta (23), Tinsukia (21), Nagaon (19), Kokrajhar (18), Jorhat (16), Sivasagar (15), Golaghat (14), Darrang (13), Dhemaji (13), Dibrugarh (13), Baksa (13), Bongaigaon (11), Lakhimpur (10), Morigaon (10), Kamrup (9), Biswanath (8), Chirang (8), Dhubri (7), Cachar (6), Goalpara (6), Nalbari (6), Charaideo (5), Udalguri (4), Hojai (4), Kamrup-Metro (4), Majuli (3), East Karbi Anglong (3), Karimganj (3), Dima Hasao (1) and Hailakandi (1) districts.�
Among the affected districts, JE claimed four lives each in Barpeta, Darrang, Morigaon and Sonitpur districts, three lives each in Kamrup and Sivasagar districts, two lives each in Cachar, Dhemaji, Dibrugarh, Golaghat, Jorhat, Kokrajhar and Biswanath districts and one life each in Udalguri, Tinsukia, Nalbari, Nagaon, East Karbi Anglong, Majuli, Hailakandi and Goalpara districts.�
According to the source, last year during this period, JE had claimed altogether 147 lives and affected as many as 618 people across the State.�
Monalisa Goswami, a senior official of the State Health department, stated that health workers are working round the clock at ground level to expedite the sample collection for JE. But the collection drive is affected due to the ongoing medical emergency.�
�Along with sample collection, we are also concentrating on creating mass awareness along with surveillance drive. Till now, the situation is much better in comparison to last year,� Goswami said.
Meanwhile, till Wednesday, 22 dengue cases were reported across the State. Among these cases, the highest four cases have been reported from Cachar district, followed by Dibrugarh (3 cases). Moreover, Guwahati has also recorded a dengue case.�
Apprehensions are rife that the situation may worsen in the coming days as the peak season of dengue is yet to begin.�
