Nepali Ministry of Health and Population has distributed 41,000 mosquito nets in the most affected districts in mid-western Nepal to protect the public from Japanese Encephalitis and other vector borne diseases such as filaria, dengue and malaria, a government official said Monday.

"The government has distributed 20,200 mosquito nets in Kanchanpur, 14,000 nets in Jhapa and 6,800 nets in Kailali districts so as to check the encephalitis and other vector borne disease," Mahendra Bahadur Bista, director at Epidemiology and Disease Control Division of Department of Health Services, told reporters.

"The government has also intensified awareness campaign to protect the people at risk from mosquito bites and for proper sanitation along with care and support to the patient," said Bista.

Of the total 463 encephalitis patients admitted at the Bheri Zonal Hospital, Kohalpur Hospital and Nepalgunj Hospital for treatment, 76 have died, 248 have returned home after recovery and 139 are undergoing treatment.

The hospitals are providing free treatment service to the encephalitis patients from Banke, Bardiya, Dang, Salyan, and other districts, and majority of the victims are said to be children below 14 years of age.

Source: Xinhua