3 more deaths push up JE toll to 14, health dept on high alert
The state has seen a dramatic rise in JE cases, doubling over the past two weeks, while the number of deaths has more than tripled in the same period. A senior health department official told TOI on Wednesday that these 14 deaths, mostly occurring since April, have been verified by district death audit committees.
"On Tuesday, we recorded three confirmed JE deaths. Kamrup district accounted for two of these, while Lakhimpur reported one," a health official said.
He added, "As of Tuesday night, the state had documented 215 confirmed JE cases across various districts. Nalbari district in lower Assam leads with 19 cases, followed by Darrang with 18. Kamrup has reported 17 cases, while Golaghat and Nagaon each have 15 cases."
In terms of fatalities, Bajali, Kamrup, and Darrang districts each reported two deaths. Meanwhile, Biswanath, Dhemaji, Dhubri, Jorhat, Lakhimpur, Nagaon, Tinsukia, and Udalguri districts each reported one death.
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"Districts are implementing preventive measures to curb the rising cases, as July is typically a peak month for JE incidence," a health department official said.
The health department is on high alert, with health minister Ashok Singhal keeping a close watch on the situation. "The department is acutely aware of the recent surge in Japanese Encephalitis cases. We are monitoring the situation closely, and I have directed swift and effective containment measures across the affected districts," Singhal said on X.
Health department sources said JE transmission is likely occurring near pig settlements and through birds, especially in villages near paddy fields in lower Assam. The Japanese Encephalitis Virus (JEV) spreads to humans through bites from infected Culex mosquitoes, primarily Culex tritaeniorhynchus. JE is a viral brain infection transmitted via mosquito bites.
"Humans, once infected, do not develop sufficient viraemia to infect feeding mosquitoes.
The virus exists in a transmission cycle between mosquitoes, pigs, and/or water birds (enzootic cycle). The disease is predominantly found in rural and peri-urban settings, where humans live in closer proximity to these vertebrate hosts, in particular domestic pigs," said World Health Organization (WHO).
According to WHO, in most temperate areas of Asia, JEV is transmitted mainly during the warm season, when large epidemics can occur. In the tropics and subtropics, WHO warns that transmission can happen year-round but often intensifies during the rainy season and pre-harvest period in rice-cultivating regions.
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