Prevention and treatment of Japanese encephalitis

Japanese encephalitis is an acute infectious disease because a virus has an affinity for brain tissue. The disease often leaves serious sequelae and high mortality rates. So how to identify children with Japanese encephalitis and how to prevent such diseases?

Japanese encephalitis

Japanese encephalitis (also known as summer encephalitis, encephalitis B) is an acute central nervous system infection caused by Japanese encephalitis virus. The disease has severe changes, high risk of death and sequelae .

The cause of the disease

Japanese encephalitis is caused by a virus of the Arbovirus group. The virus was first isolated in 1934 in an outbreak in Japan. The name of Japanese B encephalitis virus is distinguished from another type of encephalitis called Encephalitis Economo A.

Hosts with pathogens are pigs and some birds.

Disease transmission

The virus is transmitted to humans by mosquito bites. The mosquito carrying this role is called Culex , the mosquito that bites the host carries the pathogen and then burns it to the person who performs the role of transmission. This type of mosquitoes often prefer to work in and out of the house, sucking blood from about 18-22 hours, gradually decreasing and stopping at around 8 am.

Hosts with pathogens are pigs and some birds.

In Vietnam, there are two groups of birds capable of transmitting diseases. The first group includes the birds living in the village, the bamboo culms on the fruit trees such as sparrows, magpie . The second group includes the foraging species in the field, less in the village such as storks, flutes and crows. . So there are many ripe fruits in the season, the frequency of diseases is also high because there are many birds carrying disease, not because there are many fruits.

Season of disease

The disease usually occurs in the summer, popular from May 5-7. The disease often spreads more than develops into a fluid.

Subjects can get sick

Children often suffer from Japanese B encephalitis, but the incidence by age varies from year to year. In most epidemics, boys are more ill than girls. The age of the disease is usually 2-7 years old.

High fever from 39-40oC, accompanied by headache is one of the signs of the disease

Symptoms, manifestations of the disease

The incubation period is 1-6 days, the shortest 24 hours and sometimes up to 14 days.

Fever usually occurs suddenly and is usually a fever of 39-40oC, accompanied by a headache (babies who are often crying), vomiting or nausea often appear. Patients may have cognitive disorders of levels (drowsiness, lethargy or coma). Accompanying a child may have seizures, often twitching or full-body seizures many times a day, eyes rolling back, wheezing, wheezing .

Some signs may also be seen but are rare or appear late such as paralysis, increased muscle tone, respiratory disorders, and urinary retention. Children can die from respiratory failure, cardiovascular collapse. If treated promptly and positively, children can be cured but suffer from sequelae with many severe levels such as paralysis, speech banning, memory loss .

Cure

Japanese encephalitis has no specific treatment drugs , symptomatic treatment is essential. In order to prevent the risk of death and reduce complications and sequelae, timely and positive treatment at health facilities is very important to reduce symptoms, save children from danger. such as using antipyretics, anticonvulsants, anti-breathing, anti-cerebral edema, water supplementation, electrolytes and nutritional care. Then treat the sequelae recovering movement, mental nerve.

Prevention

Actively kill mosquitoes to prevent disease

Japanese encephalitis is a dangerous disease but we can take the initiative in prevention because currently, Vietnam has a vaccine for VNNB, so the most positive measure to prevent the disease is the right injection of Japanese encephalitis and full. Encephalitis vaccine is recommended for children aged 12 months and older, the second dose after 1 week of 1 week and the third injection after 1 year, can be repeated after 3-4 years until 15 years old.

In terms of society as a whole, prevention of Japanese encephalitis must be a total work force including prevention at the epidemic and the periphery by spraying insecticide, settling stagnant water, feces, garbage . .

Personally, it is necessary to avoid mosquito bites by sleeping in mosquito nets, using mosquito repellent or mosquito repellent spray, attaching nets to all doors and windows. When living outside at night, wear long clothes and socks. Need to clear or fill sewers, puddles and ponds around the house.