What is it?
Japanese encephalitis is an infectious disease caused by a virus and transmitted through the bites of an infected mosquito. The mosquito breeds in rice paddies and bites in the evening and at night. If you become infected with the virus, there is a risk of developing encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), meningitis (inflammation of the membranes around the brain) or inflammation of the spinal cord. The virus occurs mainly in rural areas of East and South Asia and in northern Australia. The disease may be mild, but Japanese encephalitis can also leave you with permanent disability, such as polio-like paralysis or movement disorders, or it can be fatal.
Symptoms may include:
- headache
- muscle pain
- (high) fever
- nausea
- gastrointestinal problems
How do you catch it?
The virus is transmitted through the bites of an infected mosquito. The mosquito breeds in rice paddies and bites in the evening and at night. The disease cannot be transmitted from person to person. The incubation period is between 5 and 15 days. After that, the symptoms listed above disappear within 4 days, but you may also develop encephalitis, meningitis or inflammation of the spinal cord.
How do you prevent it?
You can protect yourself against the mosquito that transmits the Japanese encephalitis virus by preventing mosquito bites in the evening and at night. A vaccination is also available. You are eligible for this vaccination if you are travelling to a risk area. You should receive the vaccination at least six weeks before your departure, and it consists of two doses, the second injection being given 4 weeks after the first. The vaccination then provides two years of protection.
In addition to the conditions at your destination, your personal circumstances and travel plans are decisive factors in the preparations you may want or need to make before you travel. You can come to us for expert travel-health advice and the above-mentioned vaccination. We keep the vaccine in stock.
The above description is only a general, brief and simple account and is intended purely for information. No rights can be derived from it. Personal advice is given exclusively during a consultation with a specially trained Certified Travel Medicine Doctor or Travel Medicine Assistant.