At least 66 people people have died of Japanese Encephalitis this year across Assam, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today said.
"So far, 66 deaths have been reported from various districts in Assam. Though the severity is lesser this year than the previous years, we are taking it very seriously," Gogoi told reporters here.
The government has taken all precautionary measures like vaccination, distribution of mosquito nets, insecticides among others to stop further spread of the disease, he said.
"Already a Central government team has reached the state to supervise and guide us in controlling Japanese Encephalitis across many districts," Gogoi said.
He said 80 people died during this time in 2014 and 134 people lost their lives in the previous year.
Among the worst affected districts were Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Sivasagar, Golaghat, Dhemaji and Kamrup, a senior Health Department official said.
The state Health Department has taken measures, including reserving five to six beds in each district hospital and five beds in the medical colleges for the affected patients.
All districts have been directed to ensure proper investigations and treatment with diagnostic kits provided to the hospitals.
Adequate medicines were available, awareness meetings were being held in all districts, medicated mosquito nets were being provided in the rural areas, while regular fogging was being carried out under the prescribed guidelines.
