Watch out for Japanese outbreak of encephalitis

July is considered the peak of Japanese encephalitis with multiple hospitalizations across the country, which can lead to death or severe sequelae.

Recently, Pediatric Department of Bach Mai Hospital (Hanoi) received a 15-year-old child in Ha Tinh hospitalized in a state of loss of consciousness due to acute encephalitis. Patients with manifestations of headache, vomiting, fever, defeat of the right arm, were taken to Duc Tho District General Hospital then transferred to Nghe An Friendship Hospital and then to Bach Mai Hospital. At that time the condition of the child was very severe, uncontrollable, unrecognizable, apnea, heart rate, abnormal blood pressure, tests showed Japanese encephalitis . After 2 days of active treatment, the situation of children improved but suffered severe brain sequelae. Currently the child is discharged from the hospital and rehearsed for rehabilitation.

Previously, the National Hospital of Pediatrics (Hanoi) and the hospital of Thanh Hoa province also had 2 cases of Japanese encephalitis.

All people, of all ages who are not immune to Japanese encephalitis virus, can get sick.The disease mainly occurs in children under 15 years old , accounting for more than 90% of cases, most of them are 1-5 years old. Mosquito-borne diseases , severe changes, high sequelae and mortality rates. Estimates, about 30% of hospitalized patients die; About 1 / 3-1 / 2 cases of survival suffer from severe mental and mental sequelae.

Children injected with 3 doses of Japanese encephalitis vaccine, the protection effect is 90-95%.

The virus once caused 15-20% of children with encephalitis, which has now decreased to 8-10% after deploying the vaccine in expanded vaccination.The main manifestation of the disease is high fever accompanied by symptoms associated with central nervous system damage such as headache, nausea and vomiting. Children with insomnia are crying, struggling with delirium or jaundice, convulsions, increased muscle tone, neurological disorders of plants (red and gray skin, sweating, rapid pulse).

In order to prevent disease, people need to pay attention to environmental hygiene, keep clean houses, clean stables so that mosquitoes have no shelter. Sleep nets should not be used for children to play near animal sheds, especially in the early evening to prevent mosquito bites. Mosquitoes that transmit encephalitis often burn at night. When signs of high fever and symptoms of central nervous system damage, take the child immediately to a medical facility for timely diagnosis and treatment.

The best preventive measure is vaccination, however, the child must be given enough doses. According to Dr. Tran Dac Phu, Director of Preventive Medicine, the Ministry of Health stressed that it is common for other vaccines to have only one injection to protect children (albeit low); The vaccine against Japanese encephalitis is the opposite. If only one vaccination is given, there is no protective effect, 2 full injection shots with a protective effect of over 80%. Injected with 3 doses, the protective effect reaches 90-95% in about 3 years.

The peak of the epidemic is June and July . From October onwards, mosquito density decreases and epidemic ends. Therefore, the health sector recommends that parents comply with the vaccination schedule as follows:

For children under 5 years of age: Inject 3 basic doses according to the injection schedule of the expanded immunization program.

1. Nose 1: When a child is one year old.
2. Nose 2: After one to two weeks.
3. Nose 3: After nose 2 is one year.

Then repeat every 3-4 years until the child is over 15 years old.

For children older than 5 years who have not been vaccinated, they will also be given 3 basic doses. The distance of the nose is similar to the above.