Guwahati’s GMCH grapples with Japanese Encephalitis surge; 13 dead in 3 months

Guwahati, July 6: The outbreak of Japanese Encephalitis (JE) in Assam has taken a worrying turn, with the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) reporting 13 deaths linked to the disease in the past three months.

According to hospital authorities, a total of 57 encephalitis patients have been admitted to GMCH during this period. As of Friday, 47 patients are currently undergoing treatment at the hospital.

In the past 24 hours alone, GMCH admitted 10 new JE cases, indicating a sharp surge in infections. However, there is some relief as 10 patients have successfully recovered and been discharged from the hospital.

Speaking to The Assam Tribune, one medical practitioner highlighted that the disease caused by virus is serious and potentially life-threatening.

“The JE virus is transmitted to humans through bites from infected mosquitoes of the Culex species,” the practitioner said, requesting anonymity.

Speaking on the symptoms observed in JE cases, she highlighted that the patients are first struck by fever.

"Symptoms include fever which gradually leads to respiratory depression and the level of consciousness decreases as it affects the brain,” she said.

She added that the severity of cases can be ascertained through the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score which helps identify whether or not the patient is responsive.

“The highest a person can score on the GCS scale is 15. It is worrying if a person’s GCS score is 8. The person then needs immediate hospitalisation or may even be needed to be admitted to the ICU to support respiratory, neurological, and cardiological functions,” she said.

With regard to reduction of JE cases, she highlighted that prevention is key.

“We need to take care of our surroundings to ensure that they are clean. DDT and mosquito nets can be used to prevent JE. In case there is a suspected case of JE, we recommend that they visit the doctor immediately,” she said.