UP's encephalitis toll up to 130 this year

Gorakhpur: A child succumbed to encephalitis in Gorakhpur taking the death toll in the viral disease in eastern Uttar Pradesh to 130 this year, officials said on Saturday. Seven-year-old Akash, a native of Azamgarh district, died at the BRD Medical College Hospital on Friday. [caption id=“attachment_377587” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  A total of 670 encephalitis patients have been admitted to different government hospitals of Gorakhpur and Basti division this year.[/caption] Health department officials said that two patients suffering from suspected encephalitis were admitted to the hospital on Friday. A total of 670 encephalitis patients have been admitted to different government hospitals of Gorakhpur and Basti division this year, of which 130 died, they said. The dead include mostly children from different districts of eastern Uttar Pradesh, 66 patients from adjoining Bihar and two from Nepal, they said. While some of the patients were suffering from Japanese Encephalitis (JE), most of them were suffering from Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES). Japanese Encephalitis  spreads due to mosquito bites while Acute Encephalitis Syndrome  spreads due to viruses present in contaminated water. PTI