Japanese Encephalitis: 1 dead in Dmr; 9 tested positive

Eastern Mirror Desk
Dimapur, July 19: The Japanese Encephalitis (JE) virus has claimed the life of a woman in Dimapur, according to a late report from the Health department on Friday.

The information was given by the programme officer of the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) Dr. I Talitemsula Jamir.

While talking to Eastern Mirror she said, “Till date, out of 30 suspected cases, nine were detected positive.” One of them died in a hospital in Guwahati after being initially admitted to Eden Medical Centre in Dimapur.

According to her, the condition of some of the patients was not very good.

Quite interestingly, the chief medical officer of Dimapur had told this newspaper on July 18 that there were no reports of JE fatalities in district.

According to Jamir, initial tests were conducted at the Sentinel Surveillance Site Lab, District Hospital Dimapur in July. The confirmatory result was received in the evening on July 17, she said. “As soon as the result was out, investigation started in all the hospitals where the patients were admitted,” she said

An entomological team has been on the move since July 18 to detect prevalence of the JE virus. Fogging operations have already started in Dimapur at Supply colony, Forest colony, Nepali Basti, 7th Mile, Industrial Estate, and Chümoukedima area.

It was informed that there is no cure for the virus so preventive measures remain the only option. The JE virus attacks the central nervous system, which makes it more severe than dengue. She urged the public to prevent mosquitoes from breeding.

Signs and Symptoms

•Headache, fever, disorientation, coma, tremors, paralysis and loss of coordination

•It is associated with neurological complications leading to deaths

Transmission of JE

•JE is transmitted by the bite of infected mosquitoes.

•JE virus remains in the water birds like pond herons and cattle egrets in nature.

•Pigs play an important role in JE, as JE virus multiplies in pigs without suffering from the disease and maintain the virus for a long time.

•Mosquitoes while biting pigs pick up the infection easily and pass on to the man when it bites again.

•JE is not transmitted from man to man like malaria and other vector borne diseases.

Is there a vaccine for JE?

•Yes, vaccine is available for JE.

•Government provides this vaccine for children in JE affected areas.

How do we prevent JE?

•The best way to prevent JE is through control of mosquito vectors.

•Stagnant water bodies should be drained or filled up, and surroundings kept clean and dry.

•Rice fields can cover wide areas and chemical control may not be feasible. In such situations, water management measures like alternate wetting and drying may be applied to reduce vector population.

• During pre-monsoon when water bodies are confined to small ponds and tanks, vector control measures can be planned.

•Personal protection through use of repellents and mosquito nets are effective control measures.

•Introduce larvivorous fishes in the paddy fields and other stagnant bodies to eat up the mosquito larva.

• Larvivorous fishes are available at Urban Malaria Scheme at Chief Medical Officer office, Dimapur.

•It is discouraged to rear pigs near human dwellings as the virus gets multiplied and amplified in the pigs which can be transmitted to humans.

•Spread of awareness is important for prevention and also to detect and treat patients early to increase chance of survival and reduce long term deficits after recovery.

In case of any illness which resembles the symptoms of JE, visit your nearest health centre/district hospital for investigation and treatment of cases.