Epidemic encephalitis What is the disease?

Epidemic encephalitis, referred to as Japanese encephalitis, also known as Japanese encephalitis, is an acute infectious disease of the central nervous system caused by mosquitoes caused by Japanese encephalitis virus.

Epidemic encephalitis What is the disease?

Most people are infected with the virus, and there are no obvious symptoms, or only fever. Less than 1% of people have an obvious inflammatory disease of the brain parenchyma after infection. When neurological symptoms (such as limb numbness, paralysis, etc.) occur, it usually means that the condition is very serious, and the mortality rate is high. Patients who can survive often leave sequelae.

The disease can be prevented by vaccination with Japanese encephalitis vaccine and anti-mosquito measures.

What is the performance of epidemic encephalitis?
The incubation period is 4 to 21 days, usually 10 to 14 days, and there may be no symptoms during the incubation period. Patients with typical symptoms may experience four periods after the incubation period: initial, extreme, recovery, and sequelae.
(1) Initial stage: There may be headache, mental fatigue, poor appetite, nausea, vomiting, lethargy, etc., which may be mistaken for upper respiratory tract infection.
(2) Extreme period: symptoms of damage to the brain parenchyma, such as high fever, disturbance of consciousness, convulsions, difficulty breathing, paralysis, etc.
(3) Recovery period: The body temperature gradually decreases, and the symptoms of brain parenchymal damage are getting better and better.
(4) Sequelae: Some patients may have sequelae, such as aphasia (can not speak properly), limb paralysis, mental disorders and dementia, these sequelae may last for life.


What is the outcome of epidemic encephalitis?
Most patients who are not seriously ill can recover smoothly. A small percentage of patients will leave some sequelae that last a lifetime. Patients with severe and fulminant illnesses can have a mortality rate of more than 20%, with some patients dying in short-term fulminant illnesses, while others dying after prolonged coma.

Is epidemic encephalitis infected? How is it transmitted?
It will be transmitted, and the JE virus will spread through the bites of mosquitoes (mainly Culex pipiens).
Pigs infected with the virus are the main source of infection, while those infected with the virus are less contagious. The mosquito first bites the infected pig and then passes the virus to humans.

What season is epidemic encephalitis?
It occurs mostly in summer and autumn, usually after entering the monsoon period or related to heavy rainfall. This season (usually July, August and September) is also the most powerful mosquito.

Who is common in Japanese encephalitis?
JE usually affects children under the age of 15 and after the implementation of the child immunization program, the age distribution of the patient population has shifted to older children and even adults.

Do patients with epidemic encephalitis need isolation?
No isolation is required.

After infection, the human body does not produce a high enough level of viremia to infect mosquitoes that bite the human body. The mosquito does not spread the virus directly from one person to another.

Will I get immunity after getting Japanese encephalitis?
Can produce lifelong immunity.

What tests may be needed to suspect epidemic encephalitis?
Need blood routine, viral antibodies, cerebrospinal fluid, head magnetic resonance examination, etc. Diagnosis can be made if cerebrospinal fluid-specific immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies are detected in cerebrospinal fluid or blood. For example, detection of JEV-specific IgM antibodies in cerebrospinal fluid can be confirmed as a recent central nervous system infection.

What diseases are easily confused with Japanese encephalitis?
Other viral encephalitis, other central nervous system infections, post-infection encephalitis, etc.

How to distinguish between JE and ECM (epidemic meningitis)?
JE is caused by a virus transmitted by mosquitoes and belongs to viral encephalitis. The epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis is caused by Neisseria meningitidis and spreads through the respiratory tract. It belongs to bacterial encephalitis. The results of cerebrospinal fluid examination are also different. .

Which department does epidemic encephalitis generally go to?
JE is a nationally recognized Class B infectious disease and should be treated for infection or infection.

How to treat Japanese encephalitis?
Treatment is supportive care, with a focus on controlling intracranial pressure, maintaining adequate cerebral perfusion pressure, controlling seizures, and preventing secondary complications.

Do patients with epidemic encephalitis need to be reviewed?
There may be sequelae after treatment and regular review is required.

What should people pay attention to in life and diet for patients with Japanese encephalitis?
(1) Pay attention to bed rest during illness and avoid fatigue.
(2) If you can eat on your own, pay attention to hydration, add enough energy, choose a high-calorie, high-protein, low-fat, digestible diet.

Is there a way to prevent epidemic encephalitis?
Can be vaccinated with JE vaccine, pay attention to anti-mosquito (JE virus spread through mosquito bites).

What should I pay attention to when inoculation of Japanese encephalitis (epidemic encephalitis) vaccine?
JE vaccination should be emphasized in all places where mosquitoes are active. People in non-popular areas tend to become susceptible populations, and it is easy to ignore vaccination.

In the 2016 National Immunization Program Vaccine Child Immunization Program, all children are recommended to receive JE vaccine. Two doses of inactivated JE vaccine are given at 8 months of age, 7 to 10 days apart, and one dose is given at 2 and 6 years of age. If you have not been vaccinated before, fill in 4 doses. The 2nd and 3rd doses are separated by 1 to 12 months, and the 3rd and 4th doses are more than 3 years apart. Even older people need vaccination prevention when there is a risk of epidemic infection.

After 3 consecutive episodes, you can get longer-lasting immunity. Whether life-long immunity is to be discussed is recommended. If local J brain epidemic occurs, it is recommended to strengthen immunity in advance.