Japanese encephalitis, a dangerous disease caused by mosquitoes in Indonesia

Mosquito bites not only leave bump marks, but can also carry the risk of infectious diseases such as malaria and chikungunya. Well, one of the diseases caused by mosquito bites is Japanese encephalitis . Even though it is still relatively rare, it turns out that this inflammatory brain disease is quite common in Asian countries, including Indonesia. Let's get to know more about disease Japanese encephalitis in this article.

What is that Japanese encephalitis ?

Japanese encephalitis is an inflammatory brain disease caused by a virus, which occurs most frequently in the Asian region. Virus Japanese encephalitis is a flavivirus class of viruses.

The transmission of the virus actually only occurs between mosquitoes Culex , to be precise kind of Culex tritaeniorhynchus . Apart from mosquitoes, viruses can also be transmitted through contact with pigs and swamp birds.

Most people who are infected with this disease virus will only experience mild symptoms, even if they do not show symptoms at all. However, this disease is at risk of causing severe symptoms associated with inflammation of the brain alias encephalitis .

Although there are words Japanese in its name, this disease does not necessarily only occur in Japan. Indeed, this disease was first discovered in Japan in 1871 with the term summer encephalitis .

In fact, cases of this disease have been found in 26 countries, including Indonesia. According to data from the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia, disease Japanese encephalitis has reached 326 cases in this country, with the highest cases in Bali, namely 226.

Is this disease dangerous?

Japanese encephalitis is a disease that is at risk of causing death. The number of cases of death due to this disease reaches 20-30%. Patients who experience improvement will also suffer from residual neurological symptoms, and this condition is found in 30-50% of cases.

Unfortunately, information about this disease in our own country is very limited. There are still many people who do not know about the dangers of this disease.

How about a virus Japanese encephalitis infect humans?

Humans can catch the virus Japanese encephalitis when bitten by a mosquito Culex tritaeniorhynchus who are infected with a virus.

Usually, these mosquitoes are more active at night. Mosquito group Culex this is widely available in rice fields and irrigation areas. In tropical countries such as Southeast Asia, this disease occurs more frequently during the rainy season, especially during the period before harvest in rice fields.

What are the symptoms Japanese encephalitis ?

Most of the sufferers only show mild symptoms or no symptoms at all. According to the CDC, only about 1% of patients experience symptoms of this disease.

Symptoms Japanese encephalitis usually appear 5-15 days after the bite of a mosquito infected with the virus. Here are the initial symptoms:

• Fever
• Headache
• The body shivered
• Nausea and vomiting

Over time, the patient may develop severe symptoms related to inflammation of the brain, such as:

• Weakened body
• Disorientation (dazed)
• Stiffness in the nape of the neck
• Seizures
• Paralysis in several parts of the body
• Decreased consciousness, even coma

The most serious complications in cases Japanese encephalitis is dead (occurs in 20-30% of cases of this disease). Therefore, it requires proper disease management so that patients avoid complications.

What checks need to be done?

Diagnosis of the disease is obtained from the symptoms the sufferer experiences, physical examination by the doctor, and laboratory examinations. Laboratory tests that need to be done are blood tests and marrow fluid examinations.

The procedure for taking bone marrow fluid is an action that is not simple, it must be done in the treatment room, it cannot be done in an ordinary clinical laboratory.

When you have an infection, your body's immune system will form antibodies to fight the infection. These laboratory tests detect the presence of antibodies (IgM) against the virus Japanese encephalitis . IgM can be detected in the marrow fluid 4 days after symptoms appear, and can be found in the blood 7 days after symptoms appear.

Is a disease Japanese encephalitis can it be treated?

To date, there is no specific treatment for the disease Japanese encephalitis . The treatment given is based on the symptoms suffered by the patient, such as rest, meeting daily fluid needs, administering fever-reducing drugs, and administering pain relievers.

In addition, patients need to be hospitalized so that they can be closely monitored by doctors and medical personnel, so that appropriate treatment can be immediately given if symptoms of neurological disorders or other complications arise.

What can be done to prevent Japanese encephalitis ?

Some precautions that can be taken include:

1. Vaccinations

The main prevention that can be done is to use a vaccine Japanese encephalitis . This vaccine can be given from 2 months of age to adulthood.

This vaccine needs to be given 2 times, with a distance of 28 days between vaccines. Vaccine booster or a third dose of vaccine can be given to adults 17 years and over, at least a year after the first 2 doses of vaccine.

If you are traveling to a country or area with a case of disease high, you should receive a second dose of vaccine 1 week before leaving.

2. Prevent mosquito bites

Apart from getting vaccinated, you can also take steps to prevent being bitten by mosquitoes, such as:

• Using a mosquito repellent in the form of lotion or spray which is safe for the skin
• Wear clothes that cover your body when you are outside the house
• Using a mosquito net while sleeping
• As much as possible avoid activities at night in agricultural areas, fields, or rice fields where there are lots of mosquitoes Culex .