Hualien authorities warn of Japanese encephalitis risks

Health authorities in Hualien County warned the public yesterday to be aware of Japanese encephalitis in the wake of a confirmed case of the disease.

According to Shih Jen-hsing (施仁興), the head of Hualien's health bureau, six suspected cases of Japanese encephalitis have been reported in Hualien this year, with one case having been confirmed.

Shih urged the public to avoid pigsties, animal housing and places where mosquitoes breed to reduce the risk of contracting the mosquito-borne virus.

The Japanese encephalitis virus usually multiplies among pigs first before it is spread to humans via mosquitoes, Shih noted.

An outbreak peaks two to three weeks after the Japanese encephalitis virus antibody-positive rate among pigs exceeds 50 percent, with the peak season running for approximately one month, Shih said.

Tests conducted on May 27 on pigs in Hualien indicated that the positive rate had reached 54 percent, he said.

He said that while Japanese encephalitis has become an endemic disease in Taiwan, on average only 10 to 20 confirmed cases of the disease are reported each year owing to the government's efforts to control the disease over the past 20 years.

In Hualien County, eight confirmed cases were reported in 2004 and three confirmed cases were reported last year, he said.