Japanese Encephalitis Outbreak In Assam, 49 Deaths Till Now

At least 49 deaths have occurred in Assam due to Japanese Encephalitis (JE) so far in 2019, and state health and finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday said that another 190 cases have been reported.

The state health department has declared an "emergency situation" doctors' leaves. Health officials have also been put on hold till September 30 in order to combat the situation.

All districts of Assam, except Kokrajhar district, are currently affected by JE. AES- Acute Encephalitis Syndrome and JE are clinically similar neurological manifestation arising from viruses, bacteria, and parasites, fungus, etc. However, AES is caused by viruses and unclean water whereas, JE is transmitted by Culex mosquitoes.