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AP brain fever toll reaches 191

Syed Amin Jafri in Hyderabad

The brain fever epidemic continues unabated in Andhra Pradesh, with the death toll so far this year rising to 191 at the weekend. Four children died and 26 fresh cases were reported in the last two days.

Director of Health K S V Prasada Rao, in a health bulletin on the Japanese encephalitis (brain fever) epidemic, said that 12 fresh cases and three deaths were reported at the weekend.

He said that 275 medical teams and 1,250 para-medical teams are working in the 711 affected villages. He pointed out that 62,000 doses of JE vaccine have been distributed to the affected districts.

The director contested reports in the media "which seem to indicate that the entire department is concentrating only on eliminating pigs as a measure for controlling Japanese Encephalitis. This is not true since spraying operations and other anti-mosquito operations are being carried out. The main emphasis of the government programme has been on the control of mosquitoes."

"Since pigs are the main reservoirs of the JE, the department is making efforts to ensure that they are kept away from human habitation. It is only when the pig owners refused to do it that action has been initiated in such cases to destroy the pigs," the director added.

He also refuted reports that the JE vaccination is not useful after the outbreak of the epidemic. "Vaccination is necessary in all areas where the risk of JE exists. Owing to the limited availability of the vaccine, it has not been possible to take up the vaccination programme on a largescale. However, according to experts from the National Institute of Communicable Diseases, vaccination, wherever properly administered, provides immunity against JE not only during this season but also for a period of 2-3 years," he added.

The director also cautioned the public not to believe the statements of "unqualified persons" regarding of the vaccine. He contradicted the reports that in some districts, Hepatitis-B vaccine is being administered as vaccine for JE. He said that "vaccination against JE is available only through government agencies".

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