Imphal, July 10 2010: Even though Acyclovir medicine to the control Japanese Encephalitis is not in the stock of the state health directorate for supply to the patients, the same is available in plenty in the local pharmacies.

When Hueiyen Lanpao conducted an independent survey in the pharmacies in Imphal areas the medicine was found in the stocks of most of the pharmacist.

Plenty of Acyclovir was found in the stock at one of the pharmacies at RIMS road and families and relatives of the patients are buying the same without hesitation.

During an interaction with Hueiyen Lanpao, a pharmacist said that the medicine is procured from Guwahati by them and the process will go on as before.

There is no panic of non-availability of the medicine in the pharmacies in the state.

Currently the Acyclovir is procuring by air from Guwahati.

There is no need for fear for facing shortage in the supply of the medicine, he added.

Acyclovir IV of 250 ml is procured by them is manufacture by Shilpa Company.

It cost Rs 382 per piece.

The medicine was out of stock recently for about one week.

Some of the medicines that can replace the Acyclovir-IV are Acyclovir-500 (Axovir500) produced by Samarath company, Zoylex of HIB Company and Zovirax of Welleome-plus.

But these medicines are costlier than the former one, he said.

The said medicines were procured by some private hospitals and sold at higher rates, he further alleged as this replacement are not store by most of the pharmacies.

On the other hand, around 13 patients developing similar symptoms of Japanese Encephalitis are currently treating at Shija Hospital.

Out of them three had died of the disease.

The victims were a boy hailing from Laphupat Tera, two girls from Wangjing and Keirao respectively, according to hospital source.

However, another source contradicted the number saying that five had died in the hospital.

Source further said that three patients of the same disease are in recovering stages.

They were from Lilong Choabok, Kakching Khunou and Singjamei Mayeng Leikai respectively.

In an interaction with mother of a child treating at Shija Hospital said that her daughter has been treating in the hospital since July 1 after she suffers from the disease.

During the treatment, she had been in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for about 10 days as her condition become serious.

Her daughter was admitted in the hospital after she vomited frequently when administered glucose and encases and bathes at the spinal cord.

She was first admitted at JNIMS Hospital, Porompat where she was referred to RIMS saying that the hospital has no neurosurgeon.

From RIMS, once again referred to Shija Hospital for further treatment, she added.

She is currently treating with Acyclovir medicine.

Japanese encephalitis is a disease caused by the mosquito-borne Japanese encephalitis virus, according to experts.

The Japanese encephalitis virus is a virus from the family Flaviviridae.

Domestic pigs and wild birds are reservoirs of the virus; transmission to humans may cause severe symptoms.

One of the most important vectors of this disease is the mosquito Culex tritaeniorhynchus.

This disease is most prevalent in Southeast Asia and the Far East.

Japanese encephalitis has an incubation period of 5 to 15 days and the vast majority of infections are asymptomatic: only 1 in 250 infections develop into encephalitis.

Severe rigors mark the onset of this disease in humans.

Fever, headache and malaise are other non-specific symptoms of this disease which may last for a period of between 1 and 6 days.

Signs which develop during the acute encephalitic stage include neck rigidity, cachexia, hemiparesis, convulsions and a raised body temperature between 38 and 41 degrees Celsius.

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