By NewsDesk @bactiman63
A woman from Kunisaki City, Ōita Prefecture on the island of Kyūshū has died after contracting the mosquito-borne illness, Japanese encephalitis, according to a local media report.
The report states that the woman in her 80s presented with symptoms on September 12 and she died on September 29.
This is the first time a Japanese encephalitis death had been confirmed in the prefecture since 2006.
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.
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.
Vaccination can reduce the chance of developing the disease by 75-95%.
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