Disease

Japanese Encephalitis in Myanmar

An outbreak of Japanese encephalitis (JE) has killed 19 people, including four children in Myanmar this year to date prompting health officials to begin a vaccination campaign in the most needed areas.

Due to the cost of the vaccine and limited supplies, the Department of Health announced it would begin the campaign of vaccinating 40,000 from the mosquito borne virus focusing on Rakhine and northern Shan states.

Japanese encephalitis (JE) is the most important cause of viral encephalitis in Asia. About 68,000 clinical cases are reported annually. It usually occurs in rural or agricultural areas, often associated with rice farming.