18 November 2005

Japanese encephalitis in India and Nepal - update

 

An update reviewing the current status of the outbreak of Japanese encephalitis (JE) in India (States of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar) and Nepal has been published in CDR Weekly [1].  As of 10 November 2005 there have been 6,097 cases reported from India with a case fatality rate (CFR) of 23%, and as of 6 November, 2,398 cases from Nepal with a CFR of 11%.

The risk of JE for travellers who stay for short periods in urban areas is low. All travellers to endemic areas should be advised to practice insect bite avoidance measures, particularly between dusk and dawn, when mosquito vector is most active.

Vaccination is not usually recommended for short visits to urban areas. Vaccine should be considered for those intending to stay for long periods in rural endemic regions during the main transmission season; for those whose planned activities will increase their risk; and for all long-term expatriates.

Reference

1. Health Protection Agency. Japanese encephalitis in India and Nepal - update. Commun Dis Rep Weekly 15(46):2, 2005. Available at: http://www.hpa.org.uk/cdr/pages/news.htm#je

Link

NaTHNaC. Japanese encephalitis information sheet. http://www.NaTHNaC.org/pro/factsheets/japanese_enc.htm