Japanese Encephalitis outbreak feared in Uttarakhand
September 22nd, 2008 - 4:34 pm ICT by ANI Haldwani (Uttarakhand), Sept 22 (ANI): Doctors of Haldwani district in Uttarakhand fear an outbreak of the much-dreaded Japanese Encephalitis fever, as five patients complaining about fever have been admitted in a local hospital.
The medical officials have sent few blood samples of the infected patients to National Institute of Communicable diseases in New Delhi for examination.
The officials are eagerly awaiting the results so that they can ensure proper immunization before the disease grips the state.
“Few blood samples of the patients have been sent to Delhi under which three patients are from medical division and two are from forest division. After their reports come then only we will be in a state to say whether they are suffering from Japanese Encephalitis or not,” said Balbir Chabbra, Medical Superintendent, Sushila Tiwari memorial forest hospital, Haldwani.
The symptoms of Japanese Encephalitis virus are seemingly mild, but the disease can cause meningitis and inflammation of the heart in newborn babies.
India’’s worst encephalitis outbreak in 2005 claimed over 1500 lives.
According to doctors, the death rate due to Japanese Encephalitis is 28-56 percent.
The deadly Japanese Encephalitis fever is caused by a virus found in pigs and wild birds and transferred to humans by mosquito bite. It affects the brain and causes headaches, convulsions, high fever and respiratory distress.
Many survivors are left mentally or physically handicapped. (ANI)
- Eight die of Japanese Enchephalitis in Gorakhpur - Aug 18, 2009
- Mysterious disease kills 13 children in Bihar - Jun 18, 2011
- 19 children dead in Bihar, encephalitis suspected - Sep 12, 2011
- Bihar: Suspected encephalitis kills six more - Sep 14, 2011
- Japanese encephalitis outbreak hits Manipur - Jul 16, 2010
- Mystery disease kills three more in Bihar (Lead) - Jun 22, 2011
- Five more children die of mystery disease in Bihar - Jun 20, 2011
- Encephalitis kills 3 kids in Bihar, toll at 92 - Dec 08, 2011
- No need to panic about killer virus: ICMR - Jan 19, 2011
- US man is world's first to sexually transmit insect-borne disease to wife - Apr 09, 2011
- Suspected brain disease kills nine kids in Bihar - Sep 06, 2011
- Research for Congo virus antidote on: Health expert - Jan 23, 2011
- Seven more children die of mysterious illness in Bihar - Jun 19, 2011
- Mystery disease kills two more in Bihar - Jun 22, 2011
- Japanese encephalitis vaccine given to five lakh children in Uttarakhand - Feb 15, 2011
Tags: blood samples, communicable diseases, death rate, encephalitis outbreak, five patients, forest division, forest hospital, haldwani, high fever, inflammation of the heart, japanese encephalitis virus, local hospital, medical division, medical officials, medical superintendent, memorial forest, mosquito bite, newborn babies, proper immunization, wild birds