Silchar, Aug. 3: Japanese encephalitis, which has claimed more than 100 lives in Assam, has surfaced in the Barak valley districts of Cachar and Karimganj with six patients taking admission to Silchar Medical College and Hospital in Ghoonger during the past few days.

The vice-principal and superintendent of the hospital, Mrinal Dey, today told this correspondent that the tests on these six patients — five from Sonai block in Cachar and one from Karimganj — have confirmed that they are suffering from Japanese encephalitis.

A senior official of the Cachar district administration said an alert has been sounded by the authorities in this district headquarters town to the health and medical department to take precautions against encephalitis.

While anti-encephalitis vaccines have been sent to both the Silchar Medical College and Hospital and local health officials from both Guwahati and New Delhi, those kits not yet been delivered to the joint director of health services office in Karimganj town.

All the three district health wings had last week begun a campaign to make the people aware about the preventive measures that are needed against Japanese encephalitis, which include use of mosquito nets, separate enclosures for pigs and making arrangements for adult vaccination.