India: Japanese encephalitis recorded in New Delhi for first time since 2011
Officials in India have reported a Japanese encephalitis (JE) case for the first time in over a decade in the capital city of New Delhi.
The mosquito-borne viral disease was reported in Bindapur in West Delhi.
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has initiated containment measures. “The case fatality rate of JE is high and those who survive may suffer varying degrees of neurological sequelae. Keeping this in view, all district health officers and epidemiologists have been directed to intensify vector control measures, including reduction of mosquito breeding sites, and implement community initiatives like awareness campaigns for prevention and control of Japanese encephalitis,” read an order issued by the Municipal Health Office.
The last time JE was seen in New Delhi was in 2011, when 14 cases were reported.
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Japanese encephalitis is a deadly infectious disease found mainly in Asia. About 70,000 cases of JE are estimated to occur in Asia each year, although the actual number of cases is likely much higher due to underreporting in rural areas. JE is fatal in approximately 30 percent of those who show symptoms, and leaves half of survivors with permanent brain damage. The disease is endemic in Southeast Asia, India and China, a region with a population of more than three billion.