Encephalitis toll reaches 42 in 30 days; 3-yr-old girl dies

Malkangiri: The Japanese Encephalitis toll went up to 42 in Malkangiri district with the death of a three-year-old girl at the district headquarters here on Saturday morning.

The deceased has been identified as Debasmita Betia of Mudakhala area under Kalimela police limits.

One more child was also killed due to the vector-borne disease late on Friday night.

With the fresh death at the district headquarters hospital, the toll shoots up to 42 in 30 days.

60 more children are undergoing treatment at the district headquarters hospital out of which condition of four is stated to be critical. The four children have been shifted to ICU, medical sources said.

Meanwhile, raising serious concern over the spread of decease, the district administration has announced to provide an compensation of Rs 1.4 crore to kill 2,400 pigs.

In a related development, the Union Health Ministry in reply to a letter from state government over the outbreak has said that it will be futile to undertake vaccination in the affected areas now. According to the ministry, the vaccination program will backfire if done now and such a program can only be undertaken prior to the outbreak.

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Meanwhile, a central control cell has been set up to tackle the situation. According to sources, the Managing Director of NHM would be in charge of the cell. Moreover, Odisha Health department joint secretary Bikash Patnaik will assist the MD.