Early signs of Japanese encephalitis

The time between June and October every year is the peak of Japanese encephalitis. This is a high-risk disease in the summer of all ages if it has not been vaccinated.

Doctor Dinh Thac, Children's Hospital 1 (Ho Chi Minh City) said everyone, all ages who have not been immune to Japanese encephalitis virus can get sick. In the world, in areas of Japanese encephalitis circulating, the disease is common in children under 15 years old. Vietnam has the highest incidence rate among children aged 5-9 years.

Adults at risk of infection if they have not been vaccinated, often travel, work cooperatively or work in the area of ​​Japanese encephalitis in circulation. Disease if not detected early and timely treatment of the possibility of death. The death rate of patients accounts for about 30%. If you are lucky to keep your life, there will be about a third of those with severe neurological sequelae such as paralysis, mental retardation, seizures, seizures. Some situations may result in loss of speech or language ability, memory loss, abnormal movements, such as trembling, twisting, stiffening, etc.

According to Dr. Thac, blood-borne diseases, because mosquitoes bite blood from infected animals and then burn people . The virus is transmitted through the bite of female mosquitoes, from the salivary glands that contain viruses. In 1938 Japanese scientists discovered the role of the transmission of the mosquito named Culex Tritaeniorhynchus , then identified the role of host and main reservoir of the virus that is pig and bird.

Children breathing machine for Japanese encephalitis treatment at Children's Hospital 1. (Photo: Le Phuong).

In our country, this mosquito species is abundant in the North, appears in the hot months, and lives in the bushes in the garden, the night flies into the house to suck blood from cattle and burn people, usually at the time from 18 to 22h. Mosquitoes like to lay eggs in rice fields and ditches.

Japanese encephalitis does not spread directly from person to person. Eating together, sharing utensils or close contact with sick people does not spread the disease.

In older children and adults, common signs include symptoms:

1. The disease usually begins suddenly with symptoms such as a fever of 39-40 degrees Celsius, with headache, nausea and vomiting. Then leads to convulsions, muscle cramps and confusion.
2. Symptoms prominent in the global stage are signs in the brain, meninges and neurological disorders of plants . Meningeal signs have two common symptoms: 'stiff neck' and Kernig signs are examined and determined by the doctor. Movement disorders appear on many faces such as facial muscle cramps, turn of the eyes turning, convulsions, tremors, hemiplegia, language loss.
3. Symptoms of plant neurology are very diverse and heavy such as fluctuating body temperature, pale green, respiratory disorders, increased secretion of sputum, tachycardia, abdominal distention, vomiting, urinary retention, and respiratory arrest. sudden steaming. Psychiatric symptoms are mainly consciousness disorders with varying degrees from overcast, hibernation to deep coma.

In young children, signs are atypical and more difficult to detect, often relying on some important symptoms such as vomiting a lot, bulging pimples, crying can not coax or cry up when children are carried or changed posture, stiffness.

There is no specific treatment for viral encephalitis. Although antiviral drugs are available, they only work on some viruses, not all. Treatment of Japanese encephalitis is mainly symptomatic treatment in patients, coordinating support and support to improve physical and health.

Young children need to be treated in specialized hospitals that have adequate means to monitor and intervene in dangerous complications, help to avoid danger and reduce to the lowest degree of severe sequelae that may occur after leaving. sick.

Prevention is recommended by the Ministry of Health including:

1. Well implementing environmental sanitation, keeping houses and stables clean to limit mosquito shelter. It is advisable to move the animal shed away from home, away from children's activities, to remove the larvae.
2. Mosquito nets to avoid mosquito bites, regularly use measures to fight and kill mosquitoes in households, do not allow children to play near animal sheds to prevent mosquito bites.
3. Full and timely Japanese encephalitis vaccination is the most important and effective preventive measure today. The vaccination will be applied to children aged 12 months and adults.
4. Vaccinate with 3 basic doses: the second shot is given after 1-2 weeks after the first shot, and the third shot is given after the second shot a year. Then repeat every three years until the child is over 15 years old.