Guwahati, June 10: Assam accounted for 609 of the country’s Japanese Encephalitis (JE) deaths between 2018 and March 2026, amounting to roughly 62% — about three in five — of all JE fatalities in India during that period, according to data from the National Centre for Vector Borne Diseases Control (NCVBDC). The NCVBDC report shows Assam recorded 3,767 positive JE cases between 2018 and 2026 (data up to March 2026).
During the same span, 376 people died of JE in the rest of India combined, underscoring Assam’s disproportionate burden from the mosquito-borne disease. Public health experts warn the state remains particularly vulnerable and call for renewed control measures.
Year-by-year figures reported by the NCVBDC show Assam recorded 509 cases and 94 deaths in 2018, and 642 cases with 161 deaths in 2019. The outbreak eased during the COVID-19 years, with 320 cases and 51 deaths in 2020 and 248 cases with 40 deaths in 2021. JE resurged in 2022 with 456 cases and 96 deaths. In 2023 Assam logged 525 cases and 34 deaths; 2024 saw the highest infections in the review period at 670 cases and 53 deaths. In 2025 there were 423 cases and 79 deaths, while 2026 data up to March reports four cases and one death.
Experts stress intensified surveillance, targeted adult vaccination in high-risk areas, improved pig management and faster referral systems to hospitals as essential interventions. These measures aim to curb transmission, improve early treatment and reduce fatalities in districts where JE is now endemic.
Guwahati-based physician Dr Raj Dutta said the state’s ecology — extensive paddy cultivation, high rainfall, recurrent floods and one of India’s largest pig populations — creates an ideal environment for JE transmission. “Assam alone accounts for 50 per cent of the country’s burden, with the disease now endemic across most districts. Despite sustained vaccination drives, periodic outbreaks continue due to environmental, climatic and socio-economic factors that favour mosquito breeding and virus circulation,” he said.
Original Source: https://assamtribune.com/assam/assam-accounted-for-nearly-62-of-indias-japanese-encephalitis-deaths-since-2018-1612554
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Publish Date: 2026-06-10 09:39:00
