IMPHAL, August 1: The situation about the spread of Japanese Encephalitis (JE) in Manipur’s Churachandpur district is still very alarming after the district authority has detected as many as three new positive cases following the demise of another JE patient few days ago. Five more individuals are reported equivocal.
In view of the development, Commissioner (Health) PK Singh and Director Health services Dr O Ibomcha led team rushed to the district headquarters, 65 km south of here to take stock of the situation on Sunday.
The team held a meeting with the District health authority and decided to intensify the fogging in the volatile locations of the district including the district headquarters by increasing three more fogging machines over and above the existing two machines.
After death of a JE patient and widespread report of school children suffering from viral fever following the detection of JE cases in the district, Deputy Commissioner Lunminthang Haokip of Churachandpur bordering Mizoram and Myanmar directed to close down all the educational institutions “to prevent the spread of the virus” for a week till August 3.
The holiday was declared after a number of lower class students applied for leave on account of their illness, sources added.
On July 22, the health services authority confirmed the detection of nine JE cases in the State. The number of positive cases rose to 12 the following day.
Stating that it is not an outbreak and fogging had already been done in the localities of the infected persons to exterminate mosquitoes, Health Minister DK Korungthang said there is no need to panic as all possible precautionary measures have been taken to tackle the situation.
