More encephalitis cases in northern India; some are due to Japanese encephalitis virus

The annual outbreak of acute encephalitis (brain inflammation) in parts of India continues with cases reported from the following states (municipalities):

• Uttarakhand (Kumaon) - 100 hospitalized cases with 10 deaths.
• Punjab (Badali village near Kurali) - an undetermined number of cases with 1 death.
• Jharkhand (Jamshedpur) - 37 cases with 5 Japanese encephalitis cases.
• Uttar Pradesh - in Lucknow, 5 cases; in Gorakhpur, 1,449 cases with 239 deaths.

Some, but not all, of these cases are due to infections with Japanese encephalitis virus.

Advice

Because it is unclear how many of these cases of encephalitis are actually due to infections with the Japanese encephalitis virus, it is difficult to judge the risk of exposure for travellers in these regions. However, all travellers can reduce their risk of exposure to Japanese encephalitis virus by taking all necessary precautions to avoid mosquito bites. Vaccination against this virus is recommended for persons visiting the areas noted in this alert where this virus may be active.