The National Health Mission, Assam has issued a clarification on reports of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) and Japanese Encephalitis (JE) stating that the two conditions are distinct and should not be confused.
In an official statement, the mission said that while acute Japanese encephalitis is a cause, not all AES patients are Japanese encephalitis patients. The clarification follows complaints in some media outlets that the AES and JE statistics were presented without adequately distinguishing between the two diseases.
According to data available with the National Center for Vector Borne Disease Control, 35 cases of Japanese encephalitis have been reported in Assam till June 17, 2026 and seven deaths due to Japanese encephalitis.
On the other hand, the mission clarified that the figures of 470 cases and 32 deaths are related to acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) and should not be considered as cases or deaths related to Japanese encephalitis.
NSM Assam added that the state government has taken extensive preparatory measures for the annual AES-JE season including surveillance, disease management, hospital preparedness, immunization system and strengthening inter-departmental coordination.
It requested the media and concerned parties to publish AES and JE data separately and accurately in the interest of public awareness and to avoid any misunderstanding about the disease situation in the state.
