Bhubaneswar, Oct. 24: The government team formed to take stock of situation in Malkangiri, where Japanese encephalitis have claimed 68 lives in 46 days, today claimed that the district administration and the state health department had taken adequate measures to curb outbreak of the disease.

National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme's joint director Kalpana Baruah said: "The district administration is working hard to curb the spread of Japanese encephalitis. Besides, the state government has taken all possible measures to address the issue."

She said the team visited the affected villages and the district headquarters hospital and came to a conclusion that the situation was under control.

Baruah said the central team had collected samples from the patients. She said a decision to conduct a vaccination drive in the affected areas would be taken at a high-level meeting in November or December.

The six-member central team had camped in the district for two days to review the health situation following the outbreak. The team had visited Palakonda, Babli and Koimetal villages. Besides, they had visited the district headquarters hospital to inspect the condition of the patients.

Another child died of Japanese encephalitis in Malkangiri today. The deceased was identified as Manoj Baraja, 5, of Barajaguda village in the district. The child died while undergoing treatment at district headquarters hospital here. As many as three children had succumbed to the disease on Sunday at the hospital.