JE death rate surges to 16% amid decline in cases
Assam
has alarmingly risen to 16% this year, with 59 fatalities out of 354 cases, compared to last year's 7% (36 deaths out of 511 cases).
This increase comes despite a declining trend in the number of cases.
On Wednesday, three new JE cases were reported — two from Dhubri and one from Karbi Anglong East — but no new deaths were recorded.
Medical experts attribute the spike in fatalities to inadequate prolonged treatment, although heightened awareness has helped control the number of cases. In optimal healthcare settings, the JE case fatality rate ranges from 2% to 5%.
However, in endemic regions like Assam, a 25% death rate is considered average, according to health officials.
"JE case fatality rates in endemic zones can reach 25% to 30%. Last year, the death rate was low relative to the number of cases, but this year, despite identifying JE cases, some patients succumbed due to deteriorating health conditions," said a senior state health department official overseeing the JE situation.
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In 2022, Assam reported 96 JE deaths, one of the highest in recent years. With July being a peak month for JE, health department sources remain hopeful that the situation will not worsen. However, patient transfers between hospitals, disrupting monitoring, may have contributed to some deaths. "Sometimes, dissatisfied attendants move patients to another hospital, leading to fatalities during transit," a source said.
From Jan 1 to Aug 6, the highest number of JE deaths were reported in Nagaon and Nalbari districts, with five each, followed by four deaths each in Barpeta, Biswanath, Sonitpur, and Udalguri. Three deaths each occurred in Bajali, Bongaigaon, Darrang, Dhemaji, and Jorhat, indicating a higher death toll in lower, northern, and upper Assam.
Karbi Anglong East reported the highest number of JE cases at 31, followed by 22 cases each in Golaghat and Nalbari. Lakhimpur and Nagaon each reported 20 cases. Notably, Tamulpur and Dima Hasao are the only districts among Assam's 35 that have reported no JE cases this year.
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