Vietnam Records 1,000 Cases of Viral Encephalitis Annually

Vietnam records 1,000 cases of viral encephalitis annually and Japan encephalitis accounts for 10%, of which most of the cases are recorded in northern Vietnam, according to a recent conference. Japanese encephalitis is a type of viral brain infection which spreads through mosquito bites. Most of cases involve children under the age of 15. Most people infected by the Japanese encephalitis virus have high temperature (fever), seizures (fits), stiff neck, confusion, inability to speak, uncontrollable shaking of body parts (tremor), and muscle weakness or paralysis. The rate of fatality is 30%. The best way to prevent Japanese encephalitis is to be vaccinated against the infection. To fight the disease, Vietnam will inject Japanese encephalitis vaccine for kids aged from 6 -14 in 2017 and 2018 under the National Expanded Immunization Program in the country’s high-risk areas. (vietnamplus.vn Feb 16)