Prolonged floods give rise to vector-borne diseases in Assam, 122 related deaths reported so far this year

GUWAHATI: Since June, prolonged floods in the state have led to a spike in vector-borne diseases, with Japanese Encephalitis (JE) and Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) being the most prevalent. The state health department has reported 503 JE cases and 36 deaths, while AES saw 1,300 cases and 86 fatalities thus far in the year.
With the floods having created conditions conducive to the spread of these diseases, both upper and lower Assam, as well as northern regions of the state, have been affected.“Prolonged waterlogging and breeding of mosquitoes have become the main reasons behind a worsening JE scenario,” said an official. The highest concentration of JE cases have come from Jorhat district with 45 cases, followed by Sonitpur with 41, Nagaon with 40 and Barpeta with 29. Morigaon, Kamrup and Dhemaji has reported 26 JE cases each.
Sivasagar district reported the highest number of JE deaths with four fatalities, while Nagaon, Kamrup (Metro), Kamrup and Biswanath districts logged three JE deaths each. “Elderly individuals and those with comorbidities are particularly vulnerable. Also many cases are coming in late, contributing to the mortality rate,” said a health department official.
Pig-rearing areas, near paddy fields, are a major concern for JE as these locations often have carriers of the virus in wild birds and pigs.
When it comes to AES, the situation is equally grim. Since January 1, there have been 1,300 cases of AES, with 86 deaths reported thus far. The highest number of AES cases have been recorded in Nagaon with 101 cases, followed by Jorhat with 90, Sonitpur with 84, Dibrugarh with 74 and Dhubri with 71 cases, respectively.
While Kamrup district, adjacent to Guwahati, has reported the highest number of AES deaths at 10, it is followed by Jorhat with 8 and Morigaon with 7. Sonitpur, Goalpara and Barpeta each has logged six AES deaths.