GUWAHATI: Eleven more people died of Japanese Encephalitis (JE) and Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) in Assam on Thursday, taking the number of the dead so far to 156.
According to official sources, eight people died of AES and three of JE on Thursday. The state has so far recorded 1,204 JE/AES positive cases.
The three JE deaths were reported from Dibrugarh, Sivasagar and Tinsukia districts of Upper Assam. Altogether 59 JE/AES cases were reported on Thursday.
Assam’s Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had on Wednesday claimed that the JE/AES positive cases were on the decline. He said the government’s concerns were on the patients already admitted in hospitals.
“A total of 140 JE/AES patients are admitted as in-patients. Out of them, 103 are in government and 37 are in private hospitals. Out of 140, 40 patients are in ICU while ten others are in ICU with ventilator,” he had posted on the social media.