Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh:
The menace of encephalitis continues unabated in Eastern Uttar Pradesh as three more children succumbed to the disease at BRD Medical College Hospital, official sources said in Gorakhpur today.
With these deaths which took place during the last 24 hours, the toll has reached 640 this year.
Sources in the office of Additional Director (Health) said all the three deaths occurred at BRD Medical College hospital.
The deceased hailed one each from Gorakhpur, Kushinagar and an adjacent area in Bihar, they said, adding, the patients were admitted to the medical college hospital during the last 24 hours while 46 patients are undergoing treatment.
Sources said, this year as many as 3008 Encephalitis patients were admitted to different government hospitals of eastern region, of which 640 died.
The disease causes death in 33 per cent cases while over 50 per cent patients suffer from various forms of mental and physical disabilities, they said.
The disease is caused due to mosquito bite or consumption of contaminated water. Central and state agencies are continuously conducting awareness campaigns on sanitation and safe drinking water.
Three rounds of vaccination against Japanese Encephalitis (JE) for children up to 15 years have also been conducted, the official said, adding, the move has made the JE cases down to 15 per cent. The JE is caused due to mosquito bite.
Another form of Encephalitis is caused due to contaminated water, which still prevails in the region and that has caused over 85 per cent deaths, they said.