First case of Japanese encephalitis is reported in Mizoram

Japanese encephalitis (JE), a viral brain ailment spread by mosquito bites, was first diagnosed in Mizoram on Thursday. Dr. Pachuau Lalmalsawma, the state nodal officer for the Integrated Disease Surveillance Project (IDSP), made the announcement in a statement.

He stated that the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) had recently been notified by the state health department about the discovery of a suspected JE case at Trinity Hospital and requested a final decision as it would be the first JE case in the state. According to Pachuau’s statement, “after perusing the investigation reports of the suspected patient, the NCDC has confirmed the case.”

Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is a flavivirus that is spread by culex mosquitoes, which are also responsible for spreading dengue, yellow fever, and West Nile viruses. JEV is the primary cause of viral encephalitis in several Asian countries, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), with an estimated 68 000 clinical cases each year.

Even though cases of symptomatic Japanese encephalitis (JE) are uncommon, the case-fatality rate among those who have the illness can reach 30%. The safest approach to prevent getting sick is to avoid mosquito bites by using a mosquito net, insect repellent lotion, and insecticides like dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane (DDT), as well as cleaning your surroundings to stop mosquito breeding, according to state health experts.

Source: PTI