Japanese encephalitis surges on changing climate

The Culex tarsalis mosquito is the vector for
Japanese encephalitis, and climate change
is accelerating the difficulty.

In July this year, the death of a four-year-old girl in Manipur due to Japanese Encephalitis unleashed panic in the state. This was the first death from the deadly viral brain infection, transmitted by the Culex mosquito, since 2010. Manipur has seen a surge in the virus this year, recording 45 cases this season, leading to two deaths, Sasheekumar Mangang, head of epidemiology in the Manipur health department, told indiaclimatedialogue.net.

Japanese Encephalitis is characterised by the inflammation of the brain and high fever. There is no medical treatment for the disease, and as with other viruses, patients are treated for the symptoms they develop. Fatality rates for severe infections hover between 20% and 30%, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Assam, an Indian state that neighbours Manipur, has also had a deluge of Japanese Encephalitis cases—304 cases so far this year with 1,256 cases of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (which doctors say is linked to the virus)—leading to over 200 deaths, according to data from the health department.

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