Sejong Reports First Japanese Encephalitis Case This Year... "Mosquito Bite Warning"

Small Red House Mosquito. Photo by Asia Economy DB

[Asia Economy (Sejong) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] The first case of Japanese encephalitis this year has been reported in Sejong.

Sejong City announced on the 1st that A (in their 40s), a resident of the area, was finally confirmed as a Japanese encephalitis patient on the 30th of last month.

According to the city, A began hospitalization treatment on the 17th of last month due to symptoms such as fever, muscle pain, and vomiting. On the 20th of the same month, A was classified (reported) as a suspected Japanese encephalitis patient at a local medical institution and was finally confirmed last month.

A is the first confirmed case of Japanese encephalitis infection this year.

Japanese encephalitis is a zoonotic viral infectious disease transmitted by the mosquito Culex tritaeniorhynchus. It is known that symptoms appear after an incubation period of 1 to 2 weeks. However, more than 95% of infected individuals are asymptomatic, experiencing no symptoms or only mild symptoms accompanied by fever.

However, if the virus invades the brain, the infected person may experience high fever along with seizures, unconsciousness, and coma. In such cases, 30% of infected individuals may die or suffer from various complications after recovery, so caution is necessary.

Therefore, the city emphasizes the need for children aged 12 months to 12 years, who are the target of the national Japanese encephalitis vaccination program, to complete vaccination according to the standard immunization schedule.

In particular, about 90% of Japanese encephalitis patients in the past 10 years have been aged 40 or older, so special caution is advised for mosquito bites in this age group.

Vaccination is also recommended for adults who have no previous experience with Japanese encephalitis vaccination.

Namgung Ho, Director of the Health and Welfare Bureau of the city, said, “Japanese encephalitis patients mainly occur between August and November (more than 97% of all cases). We ask citizens to refrain from outdoor activities in grassy areas during this period and to follow mosquito avoidance and control guidelines at home.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.