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Alert against Japanese Encephalitis

Special Correspondent

Doctors rushed to Gorakhpur

LUCKNOW: Government hospitals in eastern Uttar Pradesh (Purvanchal) have been put on high alert following fresh cases of Japanese Encephalitis in the region. Arrangements have been made for investigation and treatment, free of cost, in community health centres and primary health centres.

Meanwhile, a team from the microbiology department of Lucknow-based Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences has rushed to Gorakhpur. According to the Director-General of Medical and Health Services, Dr B. Nath, the SGPGI team would investigate whether fresh cases were caused by JE virus or some other virus. Dr Nath reiterated in an official press statement that the cases mostly related to viral encephalitis. She said the SGPGI team would conduct detailed investigation of the blood samples collected from the patients undergoing treatment in BRD Medical College, Gorakhpur and District Hospital. Dr Nath added that further action would follow on the confirmation whether the JE virus was responsible for the fresh outbreak.

The Director-General said as per the information updated till August 2, 272 cases have been reported from Purvanchal region since January 2006. Of these 51 succumbed to the disease and serum and CSF tests were conducted on 134 patients at the BRD Medical College and the regional laboratory in the State Health Directorate. She added that 12 patients tested positive for JE.

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