Looming danger

The Japanese Encephalitis (JE) virus invades the central nervous system, including the brain and spinal cord, claiming lives of 30% of those infected

Life cycle of the virus

The Japanese Encephalitis (JE) virus has a complex life cycle involving domestic pigs and the Culex tritaeniorhynchus mosquito, which breeds in flooded rice fields and standing water. After infection, the virus invades the central nervous system, including the brain and spinal cord. Most infected persons develop mild symptoms or no symptoms at all. In people who develop severe disease, JE usually starts with flu-like fever, headache, nausea and agitation. Next, the illness progresses to infection of the brain (encephalitis), killing 30% of those infected and causing brain damage, including paralysis, in 30% of those who survive. JE is endemic in 15 states and UTs. There’s a vaccine against JE, which is given free of cost to children under 15 years living in endemic areas. The assistance of international and national institutions, including Centre for Disease Control, Atlanta, National Centre for Disease Control, New Delhi, National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme, New Delhi, Indian Council for Medical Research, New Delhi, National Institute of Virology, Pune, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurological Science, Bengaluru, SGPGI, Lucknow, and KGMU, Lucknow has been taken to conduct research on the JE and AES.