Kolkata: The recent outbreaks of encephalitis, or severe inflammation of the brain, have killed around 550 people in India this year and the toll is likely to rise, officials have said.
The states of Uttar Pradesh (UP), Bihar, Assam and West Bengal are the worst hit.
“This is a seasonal disease as the onset of the monsoon makes the virus more deadly, but cases of encephalitis were being reported from the region as early as January. Had the states taken preventive measures then so many people would not have lost their lives,” said an official of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
At least 104 people have died in UP — India’s most populous state — from the mosquito-borne virus — at various hospitals in the state.
“The outbreak of encephalitis is worst this year compared to last year, and we have started work on a war footing to tackle the disease,” said the chief medical officer of the state.
This year, 37 per cent of the people affected have lost their lives in UP, much higher compared to 2013, where eighteen per cent of those affected succumbed to the virus. Government records show that 560 people have been undergoing treatment, of which 309 are children.
“Children suffering from malnutrition are the worst-hit in such epidemics. The majority of those attacked by the virus develop Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES), which is beyond cure. There is vaccination, but no such drive was organised in any of the affected regions,” said a medical officer of the state who asked to remain anonymous.
In Bihar, the disease has taken a dangerous turn, as many of the infected patients have developed Acute Encephalitis Syndrome, and the death toll stood at 162.
“The sudden outbreak has caught the health department off-guard,” admits state health secretary Deepak Kumar. “In the last two years, the number of people affected by the disease was low. The number of persons dead includes people from UP, who had come for treatment to the state. We have sent blood serums and other pathological samples drawn from affected children to Atlanta in the United States to determine the reason behind the outbreak,” added Kumar.
Seven districts of West Bengal have been affected by the virus, and around 117 people have died of Japanese Encephalitis and Acute Encephalitis Syndrome infections, of which most of them are children.
“Till now, 83 cases of Japanese disease have been detected in the region. An outbreak of encephalitis syndrome is playing havoc near Siliguri district of the state. Following the increase of deaths, the district administration has conducted a meeting with several departments to tackle the situation,” said state health secretary Malay De.
The government is also in discussions with various nodal agencies to educate people on the killer disease as they believe lack of education is the biggest reason for the large number of deaths.
“The programmes for educating people on the disease have to be restarted. We admit our failure as the sudden rise in the number of cases has taken us by surprise,” said De.
Assam, another state affected by the outbreak has recorded 165 deaths, with more than 500 people are affected by the virus. The state has set up intensive care units at each district hospital for the treatment of emergency cases.
Meanwhile, the central government is all set to launch a major campaign against Japanese encephalitis. It has already sent specialists to all affected states, and has drawn up a comprehensive plan of action.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is trying to ensure 100 per cent immunisation against the virus.
Surveillance, early diagnosis, control measures and vaccine coverage are some of the steps that are scheduled to be enforced.
Officials will also seek help from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta to deal with the annual outbreak.
While an indigenous vaccine was developed in the country against Japanese encephalitis last year, victims also die from other forms of the disease, including AES, causes of which are not known.
Demand for the vaccine is immense as the birth rate in the affected 171 districts is around four million annually, requiring about 10 million doses for comprehensive coverage.
