Japanese Encephalitis

Search DocQuery

Presentation :

• The risk of infection for most travelers is low, and most infected persons remain asymptomatic. A few persons (<1%) who develop clinical disease present with encephalitis.
• Most prevalent cause of vaccine-preventable infectious encephalitis throughout most of Asia and parts of the western Pacific

Pathophysiology :

• Caused by a flavivirus transmitted by mosquitos

Diagnostic Testing:

• Diagnosis is confirmed by the detection of virus-specific IgM antibodies in the cerebrospinal fluid.
• Viral RNA detection is definitive but insensitive.

Treatment :

• Treatment is supportive.
• In the United States, a two-dose inactivated vaccine is available and recommended for travelers to endemic areas based on risk stratification.

Prognosis:

• The mortality rate for patients with encephalitis is 20-30%.

References:

• MKSAP