A child has died of Japanese Encephalitis (JE) while several others have been infected with the virus in Assam’s Lakhimpur district.
According to the district health department, as many as 24 persons are infected with JE and are currently under treatment.
JE is a viral brain infection that spreads through mosquito bites. The virus, found in pigs and birds, is passed to mosquitoes when they bite infected animals. There is no cure for the disease. Treatment is focused on relieving severe clinical signs and supporting the patient to overcome the infection.
Moreover, two more persons have lost their lives in the same district due to Dengue, a virus infection that also spreads through mosquitoes.
Last year, at least 84 persons were reported to have died due to Japanese Encephalitis with cases surging to over 390.
