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CDC reports Japanese encephalitis case

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) confirmed on Thursday the country's first indigenous Japanese encephalitis case of the year.

The patient is a 25-year-old Yunlin County resident who is doing his military service in Kaohsiung, CDC Deputy Director-General Chou Chih-hao (周志浩) said.

The victim was hospitalized on May 10 after suffering a high fever, fatigue and convulsions, and was discharged on Monday after recovering, Chou said.

Chou advised the public to avoid pigsties and places where mosquitoes multiply, such as paddy fields, to reduce the risk of contracting the mosquito-borne Japanese encephalitis virus.

The incubation period of the disease runs between five and 15 days. Mild infections usually occur without apparent symptoms other than fever with a headache. In severe cases, patients may experience neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, occasional convulsions and spastic paralysis.

In Taiwan, the Japanese encephalitis season runs from May to October.
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