Daejeon Health and Environment Research Institute Detects 'Japanese Encephalitis Virus' in Collected Mosquitoes

[Asia Economy (Daejeon) Reporter Jeong Il-woong] Japanese encephalitis virus was detected in mosquitoes collected by the Daejeon City Health and Environment Research Institute.

Since April, the City Health and Environment Research Institute has installed and operated mosquito collection devices at five locations, including Hanbat Arboretum and Seongdusan Neighborhood Park, to prepare for vector-borne infectious diseases such as Japanese encephalitis and dengue fever.

During this process (third week of this month), genetic testing of vector viruses in collected Culex tritaeniorhynchus and Anopheles sinensis mosquitoes revealed the presence of the Japanese encephalitis virus, prompting the City Health and Environment Research Institute to advise caution.

Nationwide, in the Busan area, the mosquito vector for Japanese encephalitis, Culex gelidus, accounted for more than 50% of all collected mosquitoes, leading to a Japanese encephalitis alert being issued from the 23rd.

Most people bitten by mosquitoes infected with the Japanese encephalitis virus are asymptomatic, but symptomatic cases can progress to fatal acute encephalitis, requiring caution. The fatality rate reaches 20-30%.

Nam Soong-woo, Director of the City Health and Environment Research Institute, said, “To prevent Japanese encephalitis, we urge minimizing skin exposure during outdoor activities and following preventive measures such as using mosquito repellents.”

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