Itanagar: Nine children, aged between 11 months and ten years, have been tested positive with Japanese Encephalitis (JE) while a seven-year-old girl has died of the disease in the state in last 10 days, a senior health official said Friday.
Nine cases of JE have been detected in Arunachal Pradesh from 13 samples tested at the District Priority Laboratory (DPL) under Integrated Disease Surveillance Project (IDSP) in the Arunachal State Hospital (ASH) at Naharlagun near here.
So far, nine children in the age group of 11 months to ten years were detected JE positive, State Epidemiologist Dr L Jampa informed here today.
He said, out of two earlier detected cases from Kolaptukar village in Dollungmukh under Lower Subansiri district, a seven-year-old girl died at ASH Naharlagun on July 15 last, while another three-year-old girl from the area was undergoing treatment at a private hospital.
Lower Subansiri District Surveillance Officer Dr Subu Habung said a team had already started the Indoor Residual Spray operation at Dollungmukh from today, which would also continue tomorrow at Upper and Lower Kolaptukar villages from where the JE cases have originated.
Jampa further said he along with Dr A Yirang would make a spot visit to Dollungmukh to take stock of the situation.
"The situation is being closely monitored by the health department," Dr Jampa added.
The health department, meanwhile, issued Do's and Don'ts for prevention and control of the disease.
The people were advised to eliminate water logging and stagnation around households and environment to reduce breeding source for mosquito larvae, to sleep inside mosquito nets, to dispose household wastes and garbage in identified places, to consult nearest health centres and hospitals for any acute onset of fever associated with abnormal behaviour, change in mental status (confusion), fits and rigidity and not to allow piggeries near human habitations.
