What is japanese encephalitis disease?
Japanese encephalitis (JE) is an infection of the brain caused a virus that's spread through mosquito bites.
About 68,000 people are diagnosed annually as having the disease, and over 20,000 of that number die from JE-associated health consequences.JE disease risk for Travelers
JE is a very low risk disease for most travelers to JE-endemic countries. However, some travelers will be at increased risk of infection based on factors including longer periods of travel, travel during the JE virus transmission season, spending time in rural areas, participating in a lot of outdoor activities, and staying in accommodations without air conditioning, screens, or bed nets. Higher incidence usually coinciding with the rainy season. The transmission season varies between countries but it’s mainly in May–October.
Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is a vaccine-preventable disease Read more about JE Vaccine for Travelers
Which countries have Japanese encephalitis?
JE is recognised throughout most countries of East and South East Asia and Western Pacific regions.
Below is the list of the 24 countries in the Asian and Pacific regions where JE has become a public health issue.
Travellers are most at risk of Japanese encephalitis transmission when visiting these countries.
| Australia | Bangladesh | Brunei | Burma | Cambodia | China |
| India | Indonesia | Japan | Laos | Malaysia | Nepal |
| North Korea | Pakistan | Papua New Guinea | Philippines | Russia | Singapore |
| South Korea | Sri Lanka | Taiwan | Thailand | Timor-Leste | Vietnam |
Treatment
There is no antiviral treatment for patients with JE. Treatment is supportive to relieve symptoms and stabilize the patient.
How to avoid JE
To reduce the risk for JE, all travellers to Japanese encephalitis areas should take precautions to avoid mosquito bites. Preventive measures include the use of mosquito repellents, long-sleeved clothes, coils and vaporizers. Travellers spending extensive time in JE endemic areas are recommended to get vaccinated before travel
The effectiveness of 2 doses of JE vaccine is 99% (CDC).
Read more about JE Vaccine for TravelersCredit: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the list of high-risk countries for Japanese encephalitis.