Gorakhpur: Six more persons succumbed
to encephalitis at a hospital, taking the toll in the
deadly disease in eastern Uttar Pradesh to 312 this year,
Health officials said on Sunday.
The six deaths have been reported since yesterday in Baba
Raghav Das Medical College hospital, where 25 new patients
were admitted today.
Additional Director (Health) U K Srivastava said about 90
per cent of total deaths have occurred due to acute
encephalitis syndrome, caused by enterovirus present in
contaminated water.
Rest were due to Japanese encephalitis, he added.
Srivastava said of the 312 deaths so far, 292 took place
in BRD Medical College hospital, while others were reported
from government hospitals in Gorakhpur, Siddharthnagar,
Kushinagar, Maharajganj, Basti and Deoria districts.
As many as 267 patients were undergoing treatment at
various government hospitals in the region, he said.
PTI
First Published: Sunday, September 19, 2010, 17:05