JAPANESE ENCEPHALITIS & OTHER – INDIA (08): (DELHI)
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International Society for Infectious Diseases
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Date: Wed 27 Nov 2024
Source: The New Indian Express [edited]
https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/delhi/2024/Nov/27/japanese-encephalitis-resurfaces-in-city-after-a-decade-first-case-reported
The national capital on Wednesday [27 Nov 2024] reported a case of
Japanese encephalitis (JE) from West Delhi after more than a decade.
The case has been detected in Bindapur, West Delhi. Authorities have
not shared detailed information about the case. However, the Municipal
Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has initiated containment measures.
The civic body has warned that the fatality rate of this disease is
high, and those who survive may suffer from various degrees of brain
dysfunction.
“A case of Japanese encephalitis has been reported from the Bindapur
area under the West Zone recently. Japanese encephalitis (JE) is a
zoonotic viral disease caused by the JE virus. The case fatality rate
(CFR) of this disease is high, and those who survive may suffer from
various degrees of neurological sequelae. Keeping this in view, all
district health officers (DHOs) and epidemiologists are directed to
intensify vector control measures, including larval source reduction,
and implement community-based initiatives such as awareness campaigns
for the prevention and control of JE,” read an order issued by the
Municipal Health Office.
Previously, the virus had hit the city in 2011, when 14 cases were
reported. That year marked the first time the disease was reported in
the city, prompting investigations to determine whether the cases were
imported or indigenous.
The virus was also responsible for the Gorakhpur tragedy, where over
60 children admitted to the city’s BRD Medical College died within 2
weeks of infection. However, many of these deaths were later
attributed to a lack of oxygen supply in the hospital.
The virus is transmitted from animals, birds, and pigs — particularly
birds belonging to the family Ardeidae — to humans by Culex
mosquitoes. It may result in febrile illness of variable severity,
affecting the central nervous system and causing severe complications,
seizures, and even death.