Delhi has reported an ‘isolated’ case of Japanese Encephalitis, PTI reported, citing sources, on Thursday. This is the first case of the disease in the national capital in 13 years.
According to PTI, the national capital reported an ‘isolated’ case of Japanese Encephalitis. The government health officials are taking all necessary steps as a precaution. The patient who was infected was a 72-year-old man from West Delhi. He was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences on November 3.
About Delhi’s first case of JE in a decade
The 72-year-old man from Uttam Nagar was admitted on November 3 to AIIMS after he complained of breathlessness. The patient is a diabetic and also has a history of coronary artery disease and chronic conditions. He tested positive for JE through IgM ELISA test on November 6, 2024, during his hospital stay. He was discharged on November 15.
Delhi’s first JE case: Is it a cause of concern?
Addressing concerns, officials assured the public that no outbreak has occurred in Delhi, and most reported cases are from neighbouring states.
All public health measures have been in as per guidelines of the National Centre for Vector Borne Diseases Control (NCVBDC), the sources told ANI.
What is Japanese Encephalitis?
As per the World Health Organisation (WHO), Japanese Encephalitis, is a flavivirus spread by mosquitoes. It is related to dengue, yellow fever and West Nile viruses and is spread by the mosquito species Culex tritaeniorhynchus. The virus doesn’t spread from human-to-human contact.
Japanese Encephalitis treatment and vaccine
There is no cure for JE, and its treatment majorly involves alleviating the symptoms of the disease and relieving clinical signs. The treatment helps the patient to overcome the infection, according to WHO. Safe and effective vaccines are available to prevent the spread of Japanese Encephalitis.
What are the symptoms of Japanese Encephalitis?
-Most Japanese Encephalitis cases involve mild fever and headache at the beginning. Many patients don’t notice any symptoms at all.
-The incubation period, the time between exposure to disease and the appearance of symptoms, for Japanese Encephalitis is 4-14 days.
-Children may experience gastrointestinal pain and vomiting after contracting the disease.
-Severe Japanese Encephalitis case may experience high fever, headache, neck stiffness, disorientation, coma, seizures, spastic paralysis and ultimately death.