Japanese encephalitis – India
- April 1, 2021
- < 1 min read
A one-and-half-year-old boy from Tibba Road, ludhiana, Punjab, India has been found infected with Japanese encephalitis through Culex mosquito. The boy was suffering from fever from some days.
Entomological survey has been conducted in the area and Culex mosquitoes through which the virus is transmitted to humans has been found in the nearby sewerage. Fogging was done and larvae destroyed.
There is a pig farm nearby Tibba Road. Samples of pigs have also been collected to rule out if virus has spread from pigs to humans, result awaited.
Photo: Culex mosquito.
Japanese encephalitis is an infection of the brain caused by the Japanese encephalitis virus. While most infections result in little or no symptoms, occasional inflammation of the brain occurs. In these cases, symptoms may include headache, vomiting, fever, confusion and seizures. This occurs about 5 to 15 days after infection.
The virus is generally spread by mosquitoes, specifically those of the Culex type. Pigs and wild birds serve as a reservoir for the virus. The disease mostly occurs outside of cities.
Prevention is generally with the Japanese encephalitis vaccine, which is both safe and effective. Other measures include avoiding mosquito bites. Once infected, there is no specific treatment, with care being supportive. Permanent problems occur in up to half of people who recover.
The disease occurs in Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific. bout 68 000 symptomatic cases occur a year, with about 17 000 deaths. Often, cases occur in outbreaks.
The disease was first described in Japan in 1871. Despite its name, the disease is now relatively rare in Japan as a result of large-scale immunization efforts.
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