Imphal, July 24 2010: With Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) now having the facility for diagnosis of Japanese Encephalitis, 11 blood samples out of 37 newly tested at the institute have been confirmed of Japanese Encephalitis.

Talking to The Sangai Express, State Malaria Officer Dr Nimaichand informed that JINMS has started providing the facility for diagnosis of Japanese Encephalitis after the Centre despatched necessary diagnostic kits on July 17 .

With the help of these kits, 39 blood samples have been tested at the institute and out of these 11 samples have been confirmed of Japanese Encephalitis, Dr Nimaichand disclosed, adding that 10 samples out of 18 tested at NICD, New Delhi have been positive while another 24 samples out of 27 tested at Regional Medical Research Centre are positive.

With death of two more patients on July 11 in addition to three others who were confirmed JE victims, the total number of patients who have actually succumbed to Japanese Encephalitis in Manipur have risen to five.

However, with inclusion of six other patients who have died from similar symptoms of Japanese Encephalitis but no sample could be collected, the death toll is to be 11, Dr Nimaichand said.

Maintaining that the infection rate is not a cause for worry now as it has remained more or less static, Dr Nimaichand informed that efforts are underway to detect the location of the virus spreading the disease through identification of the places where cases, both infection as well as deaths, have been reported.

Side by side, regular fogging exercise, treatment of bet nets with insecticide, etc are being carried out, he added.

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