I Hope You've Had Your Japanese Encephalitis Vaccination...
Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2014 6:36 am
Good news: Dengue Fever is down
Bad news: Japanese encephalitis is up
The number of dengue cases in the Kingdom is continuing to dwindle, but health officials noted a spike of rainy season-induced Japanese encephalitis over the weekend.
On Saturday alone, 112 children at Kantha Bopha Children’s Hospital were diagnosed with encephalitis – brain-swelling – that was caused in approximately 40 of the cases by Japanese encephalitis, a severe mosquito-borne infection with a one-in-four fatality rate. Although the virus is thought to be endemic in the region, there is no nationwide data on infections and mortality, and, though vaccine-preventable, there isn’t national immunisation.
“We have to get more people vaccinated for Japanese encephalitis to reduce transmission,” said Dr Dennis Laurent of Kantha Bopha, which is offering free vaccines to children.
Meanwhile, the hospital reported an 80 per cent reduction in cases of dengue haemorrhagic fever over the same period last year.
The National Centre for Parasitology, Entomology and Malaria reported on Saturday that there have been 12 deaths and.....
...click link to continue reading article...
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/d ... cephalitis
By Laignee Barron
Bad news: Japanese encephalitis is up
The number of dengue cases in the Kingdom is continuing to dwindle, but health officials noted a spike of rainy season-induced Japanese encephalitis over the weekend.
On Saturday alone, 112 children at Kantha Bopha Children’s Hospital were diagnosed with encephalitis – brain-swelling – that was caused in approximately 40 of the cases by Japanese encephalitis, a severe mosquito-borne infection with a one-in-four fatality rate. Although the virus is thought to be endemic in the region, there is no nationwide data on infections and mortality, and, though vaccine-preventable, there isn’t national immunisation.
“We have to get more people vaccinated for Japanese encephalitis to reduce transmission,” said Dr Dennis Laurent of Kantha Bopha, which is offering free vaccines to children.
Meanwhile, the hospital reported an 80 per cent reduction in cases of dengue haemorrhagic fever over the same period last year.
The National Centre for Parasitology, Entomology and Malaria reported on Saturday that there have been 12 deaths and.....
...click link to continue reading article...
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/d ... cephalitis
By Laignee Barron