Japanese encephalitis has been detected in NSW, Victoria, QLD and South Australia. We are all so exhausted from the COVID virus having to now think of yet another deadly virus seems overwhelming. The good news is that we are way ahead compared to our battle with COVID.
What is Japanese encephalitis and how serious is it
Japanese encephalitis is a virus that you can get from a mosquito that has bitten a pig or some species of birth infected by the virus and then bitten you. You cannot get the virus from a mosquito that has bitten another human infected with the virus. You cannot get the virus from touching or eating an infected animal.
If 100 people become infected with the virus only one of those 100 people will develop actual encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) 5-15 days after being bitten. Most people will have no symptoms at all.
Unfortunately, for that one person in 100 who develops encephalitis, there is no treatments and about one in four people who develop encephalitis will die.
Should I get vaccinated against Japanese encephalitis
We do have two very effective vaccines that have been around for many years. Both vaccines are expensive and usually cost around $300 to get vaccinated.
The government is supplying vaccines for people at high-risk. This includes people working with pigs or mosquitoes or in a laboratory working with the virus.
What should I do to protect myself from getting Japanese encephalitis
With winter approaching and a decrease in mosquitos, this threat will settle for a while but may reappear next summer.
At this stage, the recommendation would be that you don’t need to be vaccinated if you don’t fall into one of the high-risk groups
However, you should take extra care, particularly in high-risk areas from dusk to dawn or with outdoor activities like fishing, to avoid mosquito bites. Use long sleeves and repellants. Take particular care along the Murray River, plus regional southern Queensland or if you are close to a piggery.
If you do develop headaches and fever and COVID has been excluded mention to your GP if you have been travelling in a high-risk area.
Photo by Wolfgang Hasselmann on Unsplash