The death toll due to Japanese Encephalitis (JE) in Malkangiri mounted to 117 after one more child undergoing treatment at the District Headquarters Hospital died on Sunday even as a three-day door-to-door survey for vaccination drive against the deadly disease started in the district.
The day’s deceased was identified as Suresh Madkami of Kamalapadara area under Korakonda block. With this, the unofficial death toll in the tribals-dominated district reached 117.
The three-day door-to-door survey for vaccination drive against the JE started with as many as 890 teams having been engaged for it on November 20, 21 and 22 for identifying children in the 1-15 age group who would be vaccinated.
The vaccination programme would begin from the first week of December.
Notably, a decision to undertake vaccination drive against the killer vector-borne disease had been taken at a review meeting chaired by the district Collector on November 13.