Instances of small children with symptoms of suspected Japanese Encephalitis (JE) have started to emerge from remote rural pockets of Malkangiri district of Odisha.
Medical authorities have started precautionary measures to check resurgence of encephalitis in the district again. As per Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) of Malkangiri, Uday Shankar Mishra, till now around 14 children between the age of two to eight years have been identified to be suffering from symptoms of encephalitis. Some of them are being treated in Malkangiri district hospital and six have been referred to MKCG medical college and hospital in Berhampur. All these children had developed symptoms related to encephalitis that includes fever, lethargy and vomiting.
This time the suspected encephalitis cases are being reported from Korkunda, Kalimela, Pandripani blocks of the district, the CDMO added. Blood samples of these children have also been sent to the Regional Medical Research Centre (RMRC) for tests to ascertain whether they have been infected by JE or any other form of encephalitis. Remote pockets of Malkangiri district have history of encephalitis infection, especially among children. In 2012 during monsoon months, several children had died in the district allegedly due to encephalitis. Some suspected cases of the disease were also reported from the district in 2013. In 2014 it was alleged that around ten children had died in the district because of it.
So, as precautionary measure, awareness drive as well as measures to curb mosquito menace has been started in all rural areas of the district. Medical teams are visiting most prone areas. The virus causing JE is transmitted by mosquitoes belonging to the Culex tritaeniorhynchus and Culex vishnui groups, which breed particularly in flooded rice fields. Bodies of pigs are its major breeding points. All these factors are prevalent in rural areas of Malkangiri district. So, there is extra watch on areas where pig population is high.
