Jamshedpur, Sep 2: East Singhbhum district health department today sounded vector alarm after detection of eight Japanese encephalitis positive cases in the last 24 hours at different health centers in the district.
The district unit of Integrated Disease Surveillance Project (IDSP) aims at spreading the word of caution to all the 30 private and government hospitals in the district, asking them to monitor patients with symptoms and file reports 24×7.
The JE is caused by a flavivirus, carried by the Culex mosquito, and affects the membranes around the brain. “Most JE virus infections are mild (fever and headache) or without apparent symptoms, but approximately one in 200 infections is characterised by rapid onset of high fever, headache, neck stiffness, disorientation, coma, seizures, spastic paralysis and even death. In areas where the JE virus is common, encephalitis occurs mainly in young children because adults have already been infected and are immune,” said an official.
The district health department has asked hospitals and health centres to report patients with such symptoms without delay along with details of patients with JE, dengue or chikungunya symptoms on a daily basis as it will help the department in arranging serum or blood sample tests without delay.
The alert was issued by East Singhbhum unit of integrated diseases surveillance program (IDSP) to all the private and state owned heal hubs across the district. There are nearly 30 private and government hospitals in the district.
The alert communiqué asks health centers (including nursing centers) to report patients with viral or dengue-like symptoms on a 24/7 priority basis.
“We have communicated the alert notification for vector borne diseases to all private and government hospitals. Hospitals have been asked to submit details of patients with viral fever symptoms or suspected dengue on a 24 hours basis to the IDSP district unit. This will aid us to arrange serum or blood sample testing of patients at the MGM Medical College lab in Dimna to confirm dengue/chikungunya or Japanese Encephalitis,” said the health official.
The IDSP apart from coordinating with district filaria and district malaria department for spraying of anti-larvicidal chemicals is also planning to start door-to-door campaigns in areas identified as vulnerable to vector borne diseases in the past.
“Civic bodies have been carrying out spraying of anti-larvicidal chemicals and fogging under its command areas while the local urban bodies along with district filaria department have been spraying anti-larvicidal and also distributing pamphlets informing masses not to let water accumulate in unused containers and complain about clogging of drains. However, now we want to visit spots which had witnessed higher numbers of dengue and chikungunya cases in the past and destroy water accumulating containers in houses,’ said the official.
