Japanese Encephalitis

Japanese encephalitis is a mosquito-borne disease caused by the Japanese encephalitis virus. The disease occurs mainly in the rural and agricultural areas of Asia and the Western Pacific Region.
There is no specific treatment for this disease. Supportive therapy is the mainstay of treatment. The case-fatality rate can be as high as 30% among those with symptoms. Of those who survive, 20% – 30% suffer permanent intellectual, behavioural or neurological problems such as paralysis, recurrent seizures or inability to speak.

To prevent contracting the disease, one should take general measures to prevent mosquito bites and avoid going to rural areas from dusk till dawn when the mosquitoes spreading this virus are most active. People planning to travel to areas in which Japanese encephalitis is endemic should take special note.