The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday reported this year’s first two cases of Japanese encephalitis, including a person who died nine days after showing symptoms, and urged people to take precautionary measures against mosquito bites.
One of the cases is a man in his 60s, who lived in Kaohsiung’s Gangshan District (岡山), the centers said, adding that the man was hospitalized for upper stomach pain on May 4, and developed a fever on Monday last week.
The man developed symptoms including a stiff neck, facial palsy, difficulty in swallowing, hearing loss and altered consciousness on Thursday last week, so the hospital reported him as a suspected Japanese encephalitis case, the CDC said.
Photo: CNA
The man’s test results came back positive, and his condition worsened and he died on Sunday, it said.
The other case is a woman in her 70s, who lives in Kaohsiung’s Zuoying District (左營), and had sought medical treatment for a fever, sore throat, vomiting and dizziness on Monday last week, the centers said.
She was rushed to an emergency room the next day for symptoms of tremors, slow speech and altered consciousness, it said.
The woman tested positive for Japanese encephalitis and remains hospitalized, it added.
CDC Deputy Director-General Tseng Shu-hui (曾淑慧) said the Japanese encephalitis virus is transmitted to humans through being bitten by infected Culex mosquitoes, mainly Culex tritaeniorhynchus, Culex annulus Theobald and Culex fuscocephala Theobald.
These mosquitoes are often found in rice fields, ponds and irrigation ditches, and tend to be more active at dawn and dusk, she said.
Most people infected with the virus have mild or no symptoms, but a few develop a headache and fever, and could also develop severe symptoms such as disorientation, coma, seizures, spastic paralysis and death, the CDC said.
The two cases were not vaccinated and mainly stayed near their homes before showing symptoms, but there are pigeon nests, pig farms and rice fields nearby, which are high-risk environments, Tseng said.
The local health department has placed mosquito lamps at the pig farms in the area, enhanced disease awareness promotion in the neighborhood, and asked local medical facilities to remain vigilant and report suspected cases, she said.
Japanese encephalitis season in Taiwan is from May to October and peaks in June or July, CDC data showed.
Although the majority of patients in Taiwan are adults aged 40 or older, people of any age might develop symptoms, data showed.
Getting vaccinated is an effective way of preventing Japanese encephalitis, and it is included in the routine vaccinations for children, so parents should get their children vaccinated according to the recommended schedule, the CDC said.
The first dose of Japanese encephalitis vaccine is recommended when infants reach 15 months old, and a second dose should follow 12 months later, it said.
Adults can also get the vaccine paid out-of-pocket at designated hospitals, it said.
People should take precautionary measures against mosquito bites by avoiding visiting high-risk environments at dawn and dusk; wearing loose-fitting, long-sleeved shirts and pants; and using government-approved mosquito repellents that include diethyltoluamide, picaridin or ethyl butylacetylaminopropionate, it added.
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