Two isolated cases of Japanese Encephalitis (JE), a mosquito-borne disease, have been reported in Manipur’s Imphal West. Health officials said an 11-year-old boy hailing from Tamenglong district, a Class 3 student of Meijarao Model English School, was admitted to Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS), Imphal on August 22. He was tested positive for JE. Another 70-year-old woman was tested positive for JE at Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) on September 7, they said. The first case of JE was detected in Manipur in 1982. In 2010, over 60 patients were hospitalized with the dreaded disease and three deaths reported.
The disease, spread from mosquito bites, affects the brain and symptoms include severe headache, high fever and seizures that can lead to paralysis, coma and death. July falls in the high incidence period as JE is widespread between the months of May and September, according to health officials. They said that outbreak of vector borne diseases such as JE, dengue and malaria mainly occur during rainy season.
Since there is no specific treatment for JE, health experts strongly advise all to get tested quickly if symptoms appear.
Image Source: firstbangladesh24.com
