ITANAGAR: The health authority in Arunachal Pradesh has issued a high alert following the death of a minor girl due to Japanese Encephalitis in Lower Subansiri district two days ago, a senior health official said.
The child who hailed from Dollongmukh died of JE at the Arunachal State Hospital Naharlagun near here on July 15 last, health department officials said today.
Public awareness campaigns, vector control of mosquitoes by fogging operations with "Malathione" insecticide were being carried out by involving the district administrations and the Municipal Council, state epidemiologist Dr L Jampa said.
So far, six JE cases have been detected including one from Daporijo in Upper Subansiri district, two from Dollongmukh, one from Tengabari near Balijan in Papum Pare district and two from Yupia, the State Epidemiologist said.
A total of 211 positive cases of dengue have also been reported from Pasighat in East Siang district, he said.
The detection for NS1 antigen and IgM by ELISA was done from a total of 864 blood samples of suspect cases reported in Pasighat General Hospital, he said.
"The tests were being done on a daily basis since the area is experiencing on an average 50-70 cases of fever on a daily basis in the hospital to the extent that all the beds are occupied to accommodate such fever cases. The situation is being closely monitored by the department at the state and district level," he added.
The dengue cases were confirmed after compilation of reports from the district priority laboratory (DPL) under Integrated Disease Surveillance Project (IDSP) at General Hospital Pasighat which began since the first week of June this year, Dr Jampa said.
However, there was no report of any dengue death in the district so far, he said.
The first case of dengue was detected on June 4 last and Dr Jampa along with Joint Director of Health Services Dr A Yirang would visit Pasighat on July 20 next to convene a meeting with the deputy commissioner of the district.