KATHMANDU, Aug 24: The government has urged the public to take precautions against the fast-spreading Japanese Encephalitis (JE), which has claimed 21 lives and infected 80 people across 59 local bodies in 25 districts this year.
Issuing a press release, the Family Welfare Division under the Department of Health Services (DoHS) called on citizens to remain vigilant, citing the rising number of infections and fatalities.
According to the DoHS, 86 percent of confirmed patients had not received the JE vaccine. All 21 individuals who died were also unvaccinated.
9 people die from Japanese Encephalitis in this season
The highest number of cases has been reported in Jhapa (10), followed by Kailali and Morang (7 each), Saptari and Kanchanpur (6 each), and Chitwan, Sunsari, and Nawalparasi East (5 each). While the disease is concentrated in the Terai and inner Madhes districts, cases have also been confirmed in hilly areas including Ilam, Kavrepalanchok, Kathmandu, Sindhuli, and Surkhet.
Japanese Encephalitis is transmitted through bites of infected Culex mosquitoes, often found in rice fields and pig-rearing areas. Mosquitoes that bite infected animals such as pigs, guinea pigs, and ducks can spread the virus to humans. The disease is severe, with estimates suggesting one in three infected individuals may die, while another may suffer long-term disability or neurological complications.
The DoHS has advised immediate medical attention if symptoms such as high fever, headache, fainting, shock, or altered consciousness occur, warning against delays caused by home treatment.
Latest data show that 64 percent of confirmed cases (51 out of 80) are above the age of 15, while 81 percent of deaths occurred among people over 50. Of the total patients, 43 are men and 37 are women.
The government has emphasized vaccination as the most effective preventive measure. The JE vaccine is administered to children at 12 months of age, with catch-up doses available up to age five. Abhiyan Gautam, head of the Child Health and Vaccination Branch at the DoHS, stressed that vaccination is mandatory to prevent the disease and urged those who missed it to get vaccinated immediately.
