By NewsDesk  @infectiousdiseasenews

Health officials in Penang, Malaysia are reporting two cases of Japanese Encephalitis (JE) in the locality of Sungai Bakap, Seberang Prai Selatan.

Japanese encephalitis geography/CDC

According to officials, this is the first cases reported in the state since 2018.

The Penang state Health Department said that all health facilities in the state have been put on alert to track down new JE cases and put a halt to the outbreak.

18 infections you can get from mosquitoes

JE virus is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected Culex species mosquitoes, particularly Culex tritaeniorhynchus.

Most JE virus infections are mild (fever and headache) or without apparent symptoms, but approximately 1 in 250 infections results in severe disease characterized by rapid onset of high fever, headache, neck stiffness, disorientation, coma, seizures, spastic paralysis and death. The case-fatality rate can be as high as 30% among those with disease symptoms.