Japanese Encephalitis grips Assam, kills 31 Since the beginning of June, 31 people have succumbed to Japanese Encephalitis Virus (JEV) in various parts of Assam following the onset of the monsoon. Epidemiologists and officials cite a recent increase in the swine population to be a major reason for the rapid spread of JE in the region. Of 27 districts in Assam, 22 are experiencing the JEV outbreak. Lower Assam is the worst affected and Barpeta accounts for 41 positive cases and a death toll of five already. JE is a disease with a high mortality rate. In JEV awareness programmes organized by the health department, officials also explain that piggeries should be located at least four kilometres away from human habitation. As per a study conducted by a team of three researchers from the Regional Medical Research Centre at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in the recent past, pigs are considered to be amplifying hosts of JEV. States in the northeast revealed that JEV was detected in the same month in both pigs and mosquitoes, and the rate of conversion in pigs from negative to positive were preceded by one or two months of peak infection in vectors (mosquitoes).
Posted on: Sat, 19 Jul 2014 10:33:55 +0000
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