KORAPUT/MALKANGIRI: The toll in Japanese Encephalitis has shot up to 11 in the last three months in the district with the death of a three-year-old girl, Gayatri Dalai of Kauriaguda village under Boipariguda block. She was undergoing treatment in the District Headquarters Hospital (DHH) where she died on Friday morning.
The number of children suspected to be suffering from the disease has also been on the rise with four more admitted to the DHH on Saturday. Of them, a 12-year-child Tufaan Charka of Ramgiri village under Boipariguda block was re-admitted. Tufaan was earlier admitted on October 28 with fever and discharged from DHH on November 1. The three others are Ajaya Pujari (4) and Bijaya Pujari (4) of Chotaguda village and Buduli Pangi (5) of Matikhalguda village under Boipariguda block.
At least 12 more children are undergoing treatment in the DHH for the last two weeks. As many as 65 children are in the DHH since September and of them, 50 are suffering from JE and Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES).
Meanwhile, a team of National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) visited Malkangri on Saturday. The team led by MM Pradhan of Joint-Director of National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) interacted with villagers and family members, who lost their children to JE and AES in Palkonda and Daniguda villages .
The team members also took stock of the awareness programmes being undertaken and interacted with aganwadi workers and Asha karmis.The administration is taking all possible preventive measures to curb the JE menace and the experts team is here to find out the reasons behind spread of the disease and to suggest the administration what more can be done to check the JE menace, Pradhan said. “We are taking feedbacks from various functionaries over the situation in the affected villages,” he added.
The team will also find out the reasons responsible for AES and suggest measures to curb it, Pradhan said. The experts will visit more affected villages, Community Health Centres and Primary Health Centres in the district.
The 12-member team comprises Dr AS Kerketa (Scientist), Dr Debadutta Bhattacharya (Scientist), Dr DK Sen Additional Director (BDCT), Dr Arun Kumar (Microbiologist) from Sikkim Manipal University, Dr JK Gourav (Scientist) from Pune and Koraput-based Vector Control Research Centre Scientist Dr Santosh Kumar Sahoo.
