Japanese encephalitis

Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is a flavivirus related to dengue, yellow fever and West Nile viruses, and is spread by mosquitoes.

There is no cure for the disease. Treatment is focused on relieving severe clinical signs and supporting the patient to overcome the infection.

The incubation period is between 4-14 days. In children, gastrointestinal pain and vomiting may be the dominant initial symptoms. Severe disease is characterized by rapid onset of high fever, headache, neck stiffness, disorientation, coma, seizures, spastic paralysis and ultimately death. The case-fatality rate can be as high as 30% among those with disease symptoms.

Of those who survive, 20%–30% suffer permanent intellectual, behavioural or neurological sequelae such as paralysis, recurrent seizures or the inability to speak.

Vaccination Schedule-

First dose at 12 month and second at 13th month . If not taken during this period then recommended to administer 2 doses  whenever possible in elder children at a month’s interval .

This disease is more common in more common in UP and north eastern states and is recommended to give in large metro cities where large population mixing is present .