Hanoi reports first Japanese encephalitis case of the year

A five-year-old boy was hospitalised at Vietnam National Children's Hospital on September 25, suffering from a high fever, headache, and fatigue.

The child patient then had samples taken, with his results coming back positive for JE.

Health experts say JE is caused by the mosquito-borne Japanese encephalitis virus which can spread the disease throughout the year, especially during the summer. The disease is more common among children under 15, with pigs and birds being reservoirs of the virus.

Symptoms of JE, commonly known as "brain inflammation", include high fever and nausea, as well as seizures, paralysis, and coma in severe cases.

Doctors estimate that about one-third of patients die from the JE virus, whilst the other one-third to one-half of patients who survive suffer from nerve damage after-effects.

The Japanese encephalitis vaccine was added to the monthly National Immunisation Programme last year. Children under the age of five must be vaccinated for the virus three times, according to the programme schedule.

In a bid to curb the spread of JE, the Ministry of Health has said that people should keep their homes clean, keep livestock cages away from their residences and children, and make use of mosquito nets while sleeping.