Japanese encephalitis under control in TN, say health officials

They claimed that vaccination programmes and preventive measures undertaken by the state ensured that the deadly disease does not spread. An official said that only a handful of deaths caused by Japanese encephalitis were reported in Tamil Nadu in the last few years.

The concern came up after state-run Gorakhpur BRD Medical College Hospital in Uttar Pradesh claimed that it was not the lack of oxygen but conditions like respiratory distress syndrome and Japanese encephalitis that killed more than 70 children in its ward last week.

“We continue to carry out vaccination drives for encephalitis and no deaths caused by the disease have been reported in the state since 2014,” an official said. 

The disease mostly affects children under 15 and are usually transferred from wild birds to pigs and transmitted to humans through mosquitoes.

“Though then pigs do not suffer, they amplify the disease. Mosquitoes, after sucking blood of pigs, then transfer the virus to the children,” said Kolandaisamy, director of Department of Public Health.

He added that the disease can leave an impact on children’s brains even after they recover.

“This year, we recorded a total of 17 cases, with no deaths,” said Kolandaisamy.