Govt dealing with Japanese Encephalitis cases in state with ‘utmost seriousness’, says health minister

Shillong: Health and family welfare minister M Ampareen Lyngdoh informed the assembly on Wednesday that the number of Japanese Encephalitis or JE cases detected in the state from April 2023 to March 2024 was 89 and from April 2024 to March 2025 it was 147, even as the govt was dealing with it with utmost seriousness to ensure that the disease did not turn ‘deadly’, reports Manosh Das.From April last year to March this year, the West Jaintia Hills district recorded the highest number of 49 cases of Japanese Encephalitis, followed by 29 in East Khasi Hills, 25 in Ri-Bhoi, 22 in East Jaintia Hills, 10 in Eastern West Khasi Hills, five in West Khasi Hills, four in South West Khasi Hills, two in South West Garo Hills and one case in South Garo Hills, the health minister said.Replying to queries raised by opposition member Miani D Shira of Trinamool Congress, Lyngdoh said the govt was encouraging vaccination under the Route Immunisation Programme of the National Health Mission to check the occurrence of JE.