GUWAHATI, Aug 2 � Though the death toll in encephalitis in the State has gone up to 159, the situation resulting from the outbreak of this vector-borne disease is under control now. There is no report of any fresh outbreak of the disease in any part of the State. Further, there is no report from any corner of the State of any encephalitis-related death.
This is the statement of Dr A K Goswami, Joint Director, Malaria of the State. Dr Goswami is monitoring the encephalitis outbreak-related situation. He also informed that so far, 636 persons have been affected by Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) and of them, 172 persons are confirmed to have been affected by the Japanese Encephalitis (JE).
Of those killed in the outbreak of the disease so far, 52 are confirmed to be Japanese Encephalitis-related death cases, Dr Goswami said.
He also attributed the outbreak of the disease to less rainfall. �Less rainfall led to the rise in the culex mosquito population. This, in the long run led to the high number of encephalitis cases in the State,� Dr Goswami said. It needs mention here that culex is the carrier vector of the disease.
He informed the districts of Sivasagar, Dehmaji, Lakhimpur and Dibrugarh have to bear the major impact of the outbreak of the disease.
From Sivasagar district, 190 AES cases have been reported, and of them, 77 patients are confirmed to have been affected by JE. Of those affected by the disease, 60 persons are reported to have been killed and of those killed by the disease in the district, 19 were confirmed to have been suffering from JE, Dr Goswami said.
From Lakhimpur district, reports of 65 AES cases have been received and of them, nine are confirmed JE cases. In all, 13 of those affected by the disease were killed in the district and of them two have been confirmed as JE patients.
From Dibrugarh, reports of 63 AES cases have been received and of them, 28 are confirmed JE cases. Ten people died of the disease and of them seven are confirmed to have been died of JE.
From Dhemaji, 24 cases of AES have been reported and of them five have been killed by the disease, said Dr Goswami.
