A war has been declared on mosquitoes in two Indian states where an unidentified virus has caused the death of 164 children over the past month, officials said on Wednesday.
In southern Andhra Pradesh, the death toll from the suspected outbreak of Japanese encephalitis stands at 112.
”The viral encephalitis toll has now moved up to 112 with two more fatalities reported in Karimnagar district,” said state Health Minister Kodela Sivaprasad Rao.
With laboratories still unable to identify the exact virus causing the epidemic, the state government has launched a massive clean-up and mosquito eradication drive to rid the state of the insects believed to be carrying the disease.
Authorities have announced a special 2,5-million-rupee ($53 000) grant to each of the states 23 districts for a week-long garbage pick-up, de-weeding and spraying campaign that began on Monday.
”As we don’t know yet what is the exact cause of the illness it makes sense to concentrate on eradicating mosquitoes that are spreading this viral encephalitis,” said Dr Nagabhushana Rao, a paediatrician at Hyderabads Niloufer hospital where a dozen patients are being treated for the brain fever.
The mounting toll has produced state-wide panic, with hundreds of parents rushing their children to hospital at the slightest hint of fever.
”We are seeing a lot of fear because its been dubbed a mysterious fever by the press. The fact that we don’t know what the exact virus is doesn’t hamper our treatment of the patients in any way,” Rao said.
In the western state of Maharashtra, 52 children have died.
”Initial reports indicate that it is Japanese encephalitis or inflammation of the brain caused by mosquito-borne virus,” state Health Minister Digvijay Khanvilkar said.
Blood and other samples from affected children have been sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune and a report on the exact nature and cause of the disease was expected on Thursday.
”We have launched a massive cleaning operation in (affected) districts and all municipal authorities have been given the necessary directions and medical supplies to counter the disease,” Khanvilkar said.
Japanese encephalitis is a severe inflammation of the brain caused by the Japanese B encephalitis virus transmitted by the bite of infected mosquitoes. Common in Asia, the disease affects children and tends to be more actively spread during the summer.
Meanwhile in the southern state of Kerala, between 200 and 250 people have died of viral fevers such as dengue, Leptospirosis and Japanese encephalitis, officials said. – Sapa-AFP