MALKANGIRI:The death toll due to Japanese Encephalitis has climbed to 56 with two more kids succumbing to the disease during the last 24 hours. All preventive measures are being taken to curb the virus from spreading.
The number of patients being admitted to the District Headquarters Hospital is on the decline with no JE affected child admitted to the hospital in the last two days, said Collector K Sudarshan Chakravarthy while briefing mediapersons here on Monday.
Attributing the decline to manifold reasons including massive awareness campaigns, intensive fogging operation and isolation of pigs from human habitations, the Collector claimed that the situation will further improve. Of the 56 died so far, 20 are due to JE and 36 for Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES), he added. Ten children are undergoing treatment in DHH now.
A total of 11,697 mosquito nets have already been distributed among the people of 111 villages while fogging operation has been completed in 203 villages, followed by Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) in 109 and Bacillus Thuringiensis Israelensis(BTI) Pest Control spray in 136 villages, informed Chakravarthy.
Meanwhile, the awareness campaign has been intensified with involvement of more ASHA and Anganwadi workers who are playing an important role in making the tribal people aware about the preventive measures to be taken to control the disease.