CHITWAN, Oct 10: The fatality rate from Japanese Encephalitis (JE) in Chitwan has reached 35 percent, with six deaths recorded among 17 confirmed cases since mid-July, according to the District Public Health Office.
Of those infected, 10 are women and seven are men. Most of the deceased were elderly, said Vector Control Inspector Ram K.C. from the District Public Health Office. The victims were aged 39, 42, 70, 81 and 89 years. Two deaths each occurred in Bharatpur and Rapti municipalities, while one death each was reported in Khairahani and Kalika municipalities.
Bharatpur Municipality reported the highest number of infections, with seven cases, followed by Khairahani with four, Rapti and Kalika with two each, and one case each in Madi and Ratnanagar. Among the infected, three are under 15 years old, five are between 15 and 60, and nine are over 60. Fifteen of them were unvaccinated, while the vaccination status of two remains unclear.
Japanese Encephalitis is a mosquito-borne viral disease that affects the brain. Although it can strike at any age, it is more common among children under 15, according to the Ministry of Health and Population. However, most cases in Chitwan have been recorded among older adults, with an unusually high fatality rate.
9 people die from Japanese Encephalitis in this season
“Globally, one-third of infected individuals die, one-third recover fully, and another one-third develop long-term neurological complications,” said Dinesh Rupakheti, Chief of the District Public Health Office.
One of the victims, a woman who died on 28 September, had tested positive about six weeks earlier. Although she had recovered and returned home after treatment, her health deteriorated again, leading to her death, Rupakheti added.
The disease spreads when mosquitoes, having bitten infected birds or pigs, transmit the virus to humans. However, it is not transmitted from person to person. A World Health Organization (WHO) team has been deployed to Chitwan to assess the situation.
Tests for Japanese Encephalitis are not available in Chitwan and are carried out instead at the National Public Health Laboratory in Teku, Kathmandu, where results can take up to a week.
Following the outbreak, awareness programmes were launched, though such efforts were disrupted after the recent Gen Z movement, according to Rupakheti. He explained that the Culex mosquito—medium-sized, brownish, with white markings on its abdomen—breeds in stagnant water, particularly in paddy fields, and bites mostly at dusk and during the night.
The disease is more prevalent during the monsoon months of July, August and September. While many infected individuals develop only mild symptoms, some suffer severe brain inflammation that can lead to paralysis, seizures or death. Common symptoms include fever, vomiting, fatigue, stiff neck, headache and weakness, although some infected individuals show no symptoms at all.
Vaccination and mosquito control remain the most effective preventive measures. The government provides two doses of the JE vaccine for children under two years old and has previously carried out mass immunisation campaigns for children under 15. However, such campaigns have not been conducted in recent years.
