(a) whether a kind of mysterious fever is raging in many districts of Uttar Pradesh as reported in the Hind daily Nav Bharat Times dated October 30, 2004;
(b) if so, the facts of the matter reported therein ;
(c) whether the Government has conducted any investigation in this regard ;
(d) if so, the details of the investigation report;
(e) whether the Government propose to formulate any effective policy to check such mysterious diseases; and
(f) if so, the details thereof?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH & FAMILY WELFARE ( SMT. PANABAKA LAKSHMI)
(a) to (f): Fever and deaths due to encephalitis in the districts of Saharanpur and Baghpat have been reported to the Ministry of Health & F.W. Govt. of India by the health authorities of Government of Uttar Pradesh.
In Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh, 156 cases amongst children including 111 deaths (as on 30th November, 2004) due to encephalitis were reported from 25th Sept. 2004.
In district Baghpat (Block Khekra), 13 deaths were reported from 28th September to 23rd October, 2004. No death has been reported thereafter.
The primary responsibility of instituting medical care and public health measures vests with the State govt. The Central Govt. extends technical support as and when required.
On the request of the State Govt. a multi-disciplinary Central Team comprising experts from Central Govt. Hospital, National Institute of Communicable Diseases, National Vector Borne Disease Control Program, National Institute of Virology (Indian Council of Medical Research) investigated these cases in Saharanpur and Baghpat districts.
The clinical, epidemiological, entomological and serological investigations suggested that the outbreaks were due to acute viral encephalitis.
Guidelines on public health measures have been sent to district and state health authorities by the Central Govt.