Most people infected with Japanese encephalitis virus are adults who are more than 30 years old, and as most children receive vaccinations funded by the National Health Insurance, adults are advised to take precautionary measures, doctors said yesterday.
Chang Gung Memorial Hospital Division of Pediatric Infection physician Chiu Cheng-hsun (邱政洵) said Japanese encephalitis is endemic in Taiwan and that more than 15 cases are reported each year — more than the number of cases reported annually in Japan and South Korea.
Chiu said that government-funded universal Japanese encephalitis vaccinations for children began in 1986, reducing the number of infected children to about one every one to two years.
However, clinical observations showed that the number of cases in adults older than 30 significantly increased to more than 90 percent of all cases in recent years and the cause could be linked to the age group not having been vaccinated, or a decline in antibodies after many years, he said.
National Taiwan University Hospital pediatrician Huang Li-min (黃立民) said Culex tritaeniorhynchus (a species of mosquito) is the main carrier of the virus, adding that the epidemic season is between May and October every year.
Chiu said most people who are infected develop no symptoms or mild symptoms, such as a fever or headache, so the disease can sometimes be neglected and treatment delayed.
Huang said that Japanese encephalitis can kill 20 percent to 30 percent of people who contract the virus, but about 30 to 50 percent of those who survive could suffer permanent brain damage.
Vaccination is the best prevention against the virus and adults can discuss with their doctors if a vaccination is needed, Chiu said, adding that people should also try to avoid staying at mosquito-infested areas, while keeping a clean home environment.
Huang said the government-funded mouse-brain-derived Japanese encephalitis vaccine was used for more than 40 years, but this vaccine can cause adverse reactions and the WHO has recommended new vaccines with standardized manufacturing procedures and fewer shots to replace it.
Centers for Disease Control official Chou Yu-min (周玉民) said government-funded vaccines can be used until next year and new vaccines are likely to replace the current vaccine by the second half of next year.
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