Japanese Encephalitis Outbreak Worsens In Odisha, Number Of Deaths Rises To 61

Bhubaneswar: With the death of three more children, the number of deaths in Japanese Encephalitis outbreak rose to 61 in six weeks in Odisha's Malkangiri district, while a central team visited the affected area to assess the situation.

Three children died while undergoing treatment at the district headquarters hospital in Bhubaneswar, Chief District Medical Officer Dr US Mishra said.

Unconfirmed reports, however, put the number of deaths due to the vector-borne disease at 65, which has affected around 100 villages spread over six of the seven blocks in the district.

At present, five affected children are being treated at the district headquarter hospital and two of them are in the Intensive Care Unit, a senior district official said.

Meanwhile, a six-member central team of doctors visited the affected areas of the district to review the situation. The team is examining the circumstances that led to spread of the disease and to suggest measures to check it, officials said.

The team members visited the district headquarters hospital here and held discussion with doctors and staff to assess the situation.

The disease, which originates from pigs and spreads to humans, mostly children, through mosquitoes, had surfaced in the district around 44 days ago.

A large number of pigs have been isolated and shifted to over 140 specially prepared enclosures set up away from human habitations, while fogging and spraying of mosquito repellents have been intensified in more than 100 villages, the official said.