WHO Offers To Assist Encephalitis-hit Bihar

The World Health Organization said it was ready to provide all assistance to encephalitis-hit Bihar.

Talking to reporters here, WHO India representative Nata Menabde said that while WHO was ready to provide all assistance for establishing what the virus was, it had not been approached by the government yet.

What You Should Know about Japanese Encephalitis - Types, Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatment
Japanese encephalitis is a mosquito borne viral disease associated with inflammation of the brain.

"We don't have any specific project at present, but we are open to providing assistance whenever the government approaches us. We have all the expertise," Menabde told reporters.

She also said that the WHO was providing some assistance based on requests by the Bihar government.

Menabde stressed on including Japanese Encephalitis (JE) in routine immunization.

Brain Fever or Encephalitis Spreading in North India
The death toll due to the Japanese Encephalitis continues to daily kill a few more people in Uttar Pradesh and seems to be spreading to the neighboring areas like Nepal.

"JE vaccine should be included in regular universal vaccination program," she said.

An encephalitis infection which has already claimed the life of over 200 children and affected nearly 600 in Bihar as per official data, has symptoms of encephalitis but is not Japanese Encephalitis.

Rs. 50,000 To Be Given To Encephalitis Victims Families In Bihar
Officials said on Wednesday that the families of children, who died of acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) will be paid a monetary compensation.

Pune-based National Institute of Virology (NIV) had Thursday said that the disease spreading through Bihar called Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES), is not Japanese encephalitis. It is yet to be established what the infection actually is.

Source-IANS

Encephalitis Outbreak Has Claimed More Than 400 Lives in India
At least 430 people, mainly children, have died from an outbreak of encephalitis in a deeply neglected region of the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, officials said on Saturday.