Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, Jul 16: Fifteen more cases of Japanese encephalitis (JE) have been reported from East Siang district, taking the number of persons detected with JE in the district to 20, informed Health Services Director Dr Moromor Lego.
Five JE cases, out of the total 11 in the state, had been reported from East Siang on Monday.
Dr Lego said an expert team from the health department will visit Pasighat on Wednesday to take stock of the situation.
He urged the people not to panic over the JE outbreak, saying “the department has taken all necessary steps and measures to prevent the disease from further spreading.”
He said all DMOs have been alerted and advised to set up surveillance and take up with their respective district administration and veterinary department to ban the import of pigs and piglets from outside the state for a month.
JE is a vector borne encephalitis transmitted by the Culex group of mosquitoes, and pigs play an important role in the transmission of JE from one area to another.
Meanwhile, the Tirap district administration has banned the import of pigs and piglets from the neighbouring states and districts. The order will remain in force until the situation improves.
