Guwahati: Mosquito-borne disease Japanese Encephalitis has claimed 66 lives across Assam so far, according to the state branch of the National Health Mission (NHM).
One more person died of JE in Assam in the past 24 hours, official added.
The lone death was reported from the Sonitpur district of Assam.
The state also reported four fresh cases, taking the tally to 355.
As per the official, the Kamrup district recorded two new cases each, Kokrajhar and Tinsukia reported one case each.
The disease has been most affected in the lower Assam districts of Barpeta, Nalbari, Baksa, Chirang, and Udalguri as well as the upper Assam districts of Golaghat, Sivasagar, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Lakhimpur, Jorhat, Majuli, Cachar, and Hailakandi in southern Assam.
Japanese encephalitis is a viral brain infection spread through mosquito bites. The virus is found in pigs and birds, and is passed to mosquitoes when they bite infected animals.
