115 die of encephalitis in Assam

Guwahati, Jul 22 (PTI) A total 115 people have died due to encephalitis in Assam since January this year even as the government sounded an alert and advised all health centres in the state to be on vigil. While 86 died due to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES), 29 others died due to Japanese Encephalitis (JE), joint director health (malaria) Abani Kumar Goswami said here today. Twenty districts have been affected by the disease and the total number of people affected by AES was 408, while 157 have tested positive for JE so far, he said. The worst hit was Sibsagar district where 34 people had died due to AES and eight of JE while the total of affected persons are 130. The other affected districts are Sonitpur, Golaghat, Jorhat, Lakhimpur, Dibrugarh, Kamrup (rural), Barpeta, Morigaon, Kamrup (metro), Darrang, Nalbari, Nagaon, Baksa, Udalguri, Dhemaji, Bongaigaon, Dhubri, Karbi Anglong and North Cachar hills, Goswami said.