The state of Assam is currently grappling with a surge in Japanese Encephalitis (JE) cases, with Gauhati Medical College Hospital (GMCH) at the forefront of the battle. Since April 1, 2024, the hospital has admitted 90 patients suffering from the deadly flavivirus, of which 22 have succumbed to the virus.

According to GMCH Superintendent, Dr. Abhijit Sarma, the current year has seen a significant rise in the number of JE patients compared to last year, when 54 patients were admitted to the hospital. "As of now, 40 patients are still undergoing treatment at GMCH, four of whom are in critical condition, while the rest are stable. Unfortunately, 22 patients lost their lives, many of whom were brought to us in the terminal stages of the disease," Dr. Sarma said.

He further explained that several patients had been receiving treatment at private hospitals before being transferred to GMCH for tertiary care. However, their health status was already severely compromised upon arrival. The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores of these patients were alarmingly low, with some scoring as low as 3/15, indicating a severe level of consciousness impairment. This contributed to the higher mortality rate observed this year.

Dr. Sarma also highlighted the challenges in treating Japanese Encephalitis, noting that there is no curative medicine for the virus. "Treatment for Japanese Encephalitis is always symptomatic. If a patient has a fever, they are given medication for fever. If they are experiencing convulsions, they are treated for that. Injections like Mannitol are also administered to provide symptomatic relief. So far, 23 patients have recovered," he added.

The surge in JE cases at GMCH underscores the severity of the outbreak in Assam this year, prompting heightened concern and vigilance among health authorities as they continue to battle the spread of this life-threatening virus.