Patna, Dec. 2: The state health department plans to engage Vikas Mitras to ensure routine immunisation of children in Mahadalit tolas against Japanese encephalitis in Magadh and Muzaffarpur regions of the state from where the outbreak of Japanese encephalitis and acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) was reported this year.

So far, 88 children have died of the disease at Anugrah Narayan Medical College and Hospital (ANMCH), Gaya, alone in the past three months.

The principal secretary of the department, Amarjeet Sinha, said the steps were being taken after a central team visited ANMCH and cases were reported from villages. He recommended that the state government should try and strengthen its routine immunisation programme against the disease.

A central team visited Gaya and nearby areas thrice during the past three months since the outbreak of the disease was reported from the division.

After carrying out their examination, the team suggested that more stress on routine immunisation programme in Mahadalit tolas, as they are most affected by the disease. We are now preparing an intensive area plan for the worst-hit areas on how to go about the initiative. It should be ready in the next 20-25 days,” Sinha told The Telegraph.

He added: “We are therefore collaborating with Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes welfare department to rope in Vikas Mitras to educate and motivate people in such colonies and villages to take their children between 16 and 24 months of age for vaccination along with routine immunisation schedule for other diseases. As these workers belong to the same colonies, it is a much viable plan to educate people on the need of vaccination through them.”

He said mass immunisation carried out in the region in September this year had helped considerably in bringing down the number of affected children.

Since August 23 this year, 401 cases of AES have been registered at ANMCH, of whom 23 have died.

Three deaths were reported in the past four days. Most of the cases are confirmed Japanese encephalitis cases. The disease, which spreads by bite of Culex mosquitoes, is believed to spread in poor people’s colonies, where pig farming is common.

Pigs act as carriers of Japanese encephalitis virus and infect mosquitoes.

The state government had also requested the Centre to give technical advice and assistance on its proposed plan to carry out mass vaccination ahead of monsoon next year in Gaya and adjoining districts. The department has also requested Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Union health research ministry to open a long-term research centre at Gaya to study the cause and ways of prevention of the fatal disease, which has emerged as a major cause of concern for the government.

The government is also contemplating to set up a paediatric intensive care unit at ANMCH and Shri Krishna Medical College and Hospital, Muzaffarpur, in the wake of a high number of deadly Japanese encephalitis and AES cases reported at these medical colleges over the past few years.