Guwahati, July 15 -- Assam has reported 12 additional deaths from Japanese Encephalitis (JE) in the past week, taking the total number of fatalities in the state this year to 26, government officials confirmed.

The virus has now spread to 33 of Assam's 35 districts, with only Dima Hasao and Hailakandi remaining unaffected. In response, the state government has issued alerts to all district health authorities.

"Japanese Encephalitis is endemic to Assam. Every year, we see cases of JE, and all three elements-the virus, the mosquito vector, and animal hosts-are consistently present. Assam accounts for nearly 50 percent of India's JE caseload," said Lakshmanan S, Mission Director of the National Health Mission (NHM), Assam.

So far this yea...