Japanese encephalitis - India (04): (UP)
Date: Mon 24 Aug 2009
Source: BBC News [edited]
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8217453.stm>
At least 200 children have died in an outbreak of Japanese
encephalitis in northern India, health officials say. So far, 900
affected children have been admitted to hospitals in Uttar Pradesh
state. Some patients have come from neighbouring Bihar state and
Nepal.
There is no specific cure for the mosquito-borne disease, which has
killed thousands in India since 1978. Health experts complain that
red tape has prevented development of an effective vaccination
programme. The disease occurs regularly during India's monsoon.
Doctors say children between the ages of 6 months to 15 years are
worst affected and most of the victims are poor people from rural
areas. "The attack of the encephalitis virus is extremely ferocious
this year [2009]," says Dr Rashmi Kumar, an expert on Japanese
encephalitis at Lucknow Medical College hospital. "Children are
developing a serious condition within a day or 2 of getting
infected," she says.
Health officials in the state capital, Lucknow, say cases of acute
encephalitis are being reported mostly from 14 districts of eastern
Uttar Pradesh in the foothills of the Himalayas. The low-lying areas
are prone to annual floods, and severe water-logging and a lack of
sanitation provide a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
Doctors say Gorakhpur town is the epicentre of the disease. Last year
[2008], the government said it would spend 60 million rupees (USD
1.24m) to upgrade facilities at Gorakhpur Medical College hospital.
But, doctors say, the hospital does not have adequate numbers of
medical staff to deal with the large numbers of patients. Doctors say
the children who survive will have to face lifelong problems as the
disease has a crippling effect.
While there is no specific cure for the disease after it has been
contracted, 3 vaccines are in use worldwide that have reportedly been
successful in preventing the disease. But India has so far failed to
develop an effective vaccination programme. After the disease killed
1500 children in 2005, a public outcry forced the government to
import vaccines from China and a mass vaccination project was
started. However, doctors say the vaccine coverage has not been
satisfactory this year [2009], with many parents of affected children
saying no vaccination was done in their areas.
Japanese encephalitis, which causes high fever, vomiting, and can
leave patients comatose, usually hits Uttar Pradesh state in
July-August. The disease has recurred annually in eastern regions of
the state since 1978.
[Byline: Ram Dutt Tripathi]
Source: BBC News [edited]
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8217453.stm>
At least 200 children have died in an outbreak of Japanese
encephalitis in northern India, health officials say. So far, 900
affected children have been admitted to hospitals in Uttar Pradesh
state. Some patients have come from neighbouring Bihar state and
Nepal.
There is no specific cure for the mosquito-borne disease, which has
killed thousands in India since 1978. Health experts complain that
red tape has prevented development of an effective vaccination
programme. The disease occurs regularly during India's monsoon.
Doctors say children between the ages of 6 months to 15 years are
worst affected and most of the victims are poor people from rural
areas. "The attack of the encephalitis virus is extremely ferocious
this year [2009]," says Dr Rashmi Kumar, an expert on Japanese
encephalitis at Lucknow Medical College hospital. "Children are
developing a serious condition within a day or 2 of getting
infected," she says.
Health officials in the state capital, Lucknow, say cases of acute
encephalitis are being reported mostly from 14 districts of eastern
Uttar Pradesh in the foothills of the Himalayas. The low-lying areas
are prone to annual floods, and severe water-logging and a lack of
sanitation provide a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
Doctors say Gorakhpur town is the epicentre of the disease. Last year
[2008], the government said it would spend 60 million rupees (USD
1.24m) to upgrade facilities at Gorakhpur Medical College hospital.
But, doctors say, the hospital does not have adequate numbers of
medical staff to deal with the large numbers of patients. Doctors say
the children who survive will have to face lifelong problems as the
disease has a crippling effect.
While there is no specific cure for the disease after it has been
contracted, 3 vaccines are in use worldwide that have reportedly been
successful in preventing the disease. But India has so far failed to
develop an effective vaccination programme. After the disease killed
1500 children in 2005, a public outcry forced the government to
import vaccines from China and a mass vaccination project was
started. However, doctors say the vaccine coverage has not been
satisfactory this year [2009], with many parents of affected children
saying no vaccination was done in their areas.
Japanese encephalitis, which causes high fever, vomiting, and can
leave patients comatose, usually hits Uttar Pradesh state in
July-August. The disease has recurred annually in eastern regions of
the state since 1978.
[Byline: Ram Dutt Tripathi]
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