Guwahati, Jul 9 (IANS): At least eight people died of Japanese Encephalitis (JE) in Assam in the past nine days while 82 were infected, prompting the Health Department to seek authorities to set up District Rapid Response Teams (DRRT) to keep a close watch on the situation.

JE and malaria kill many people in Assam every year, specifically during the monsoon season that usually starts in May and stretches to October.

According to the National Health Mission (NHM), since July 1, at least eight people have died and 82 people have fallen ill after being infected by the vector-borne diseases.

Principal Secretary, Health, Avinash Joshi and NHM Director Dr. M S Lakshmi Priya on Saturday conducted a meeting, through video conferencing, with the district authorities and asked them to constitute DRRTs by July 16 to deal with the situation.

The NHM has also issued a standard operating procedure and guidelines to tackle the situation arising with the outbreak of the JE.

Last year, at least 40 deaths were reported due to JE, officials said.