Guwahati: The Japanese Encephalitis (JE) death toll in Assam has nearly tripled over the past two weeks, reaching 20, while deaths due to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) have crossed 50.Alarmed by the sharp rise, state health minister Ashok Singhal on Monday convened an urgent review meeting, directing the health department, district administrations and agencies concerned to intensify coordinated efforts to contain the spread of JE and AES before the situation worsens.According to data from the health department, 20 confirmed JE-positive deaths wererecorded in the state this year till Sunday. A total of 156 JE cases werereported from different districts so far.Meanwhile, the AES caseload is nearing the 1,000 mark. Till Saturday, Assam reported 992 AES cases and 56 deaths linked to it.The surge is sharper compared with mid-June. The Assam National Health Mission (NHM) said that till June 17, the state recorded 35 JE cases, including seven confirmed JE deaths. It also clarified that the 470 AES cases and 32 AES deaths reported at that time were related to AES.Kamrup district has reported the highest number of JE deaths at six, followed by two deaths each in Barpeta, Jorhat and Lakhimpur districts. One JE death each wasreported from Baksa, Bongaigaon, Cachar, Chirang, Dibrugarh, Dima Hasao, Kamrup (Metro) and Tamulpur.AES fatalities werereported across a wider geographical spread. Kamrup has also recorded the highest number of AES deaths at seven, followed by Jorhat with six, while Barpeta and Lakhimpur have reported five deaths each.During the review meeting, held with officials from all districts through video conferencing, Singhal directed officials to focus on early detection of cases, close monitoring of fever patients, promoting the use of mosquito nets among the public, strengthening information sharing and treatment coordination with private hospitals, conducting regular fogging operations for mosquito control and enhancing public awareness.Health department sources said the peak JE season may still lie ahead, with both JE and AES cases likely to rise further through July and possibly beyond, as active monsoon conditions continue to create favourable breeding conditions for mosquitoes.
