PRO/AH/EDR> Japanese encephalitis – Nepal (03): fatal
Reply-To: noreply@isid.org
JAPANESE ENCEPHALITIS – NEPAL (03): FATAL
A ProMED-mail post
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International Society for Infectious Diseases
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Date: Sat 5 Oct 2024
Source: Precision Vaccinations [edited]
https://www.precisionvaccinations.com/nepals-japanese-encephalitis-outbreak-claims-17-lives-2024-10-05
Over the past few decades, Japanese encephalitis (JE) has been a
significant concern in the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal,
particularly during the annual monsoon season in the Himalayan
Mountains.
According to news from The Kathmandu Post, 63 people have been
infected with the mosquito-borne zoonotic viral disease since June
2024. Tragically, as of 22 Sep 2024, 17 people, including children,
have died from JE infections this year [2024].
This ongoing JE outbreak has been detected in 29 Nepal districts,
including those in the Kathmandu Valley, which is located at 5000
feet, where virus-carrying mosquitoes are found.
Nepal’s health department estimates that about 12 million people, out
of a total population of 31 million, are at risk of JE in 2024.
Additionally, many of the one million visitors to Nepal this year
[2024] may need protection from JE.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says the JE
virus is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected Culex
mosquitoes. Pigs play an essential role in the natural cycle and serve
as an amplifier host without suffering from disease. They maintain
prolonged high-level viremia, which allows mosquitoes to get infected
easily.
People are dead-end hosts in the JEV transmission cycle, says the
CDC.
As of October 2024, the CDC has identified 24 countries in Southeast
Asia and the Western Pacific Region reporting JE cases.
For example, in May 2024, Taiwan recorded 2 JE patients, including one
death. And in India, where JE has been detected since 1952, a child in
Jabalpur reportedly died due to JE infection last month [September
2024].
Also included in the KP news article, Dr. Abhiyan Gautam, chief of the
Immunisation Section at the Family Welfare Division, stated, “We have
also requested various aid agencies, including the Global Alliance for
Vaccines and Immunisation, to supply JE vaccine.”
Recent data from Nepal’s Health Ministry show that less than 50% of
the infected patients were inoculated with the JE vaccine. JE
vaccination is not routinely recommended for visitors hiking to higher
elevations such as Mt. Everest or spending short periods in
Kathmandu.
However, JE vaccination is recommended by the CDC for expatriates
living in Nepal.
While there are very few local JEV cases in the United States, the CDC
cautions the millions of Californians who travel west to Asia and
Pacific Ocean countries to protect themselves from infection.
In the United States, Valneva SE’s IXIARO (JESPECT) vaccine has been
approved by the US FDA and CDC for many years. This safe and effective
vaccine is authorized for most children and adults traveling to
Japanese encephalitis endemic areas.
As of 5 Oct 2024, IXIARO is available at travel vaccine clinics and
pharmacies in the United States.