AGARTALA, April 25 (TIWN): Workshop on State level training of Trainers on Japanese Enchapallitis was held at Pragna Bhawan, on Saturday. The highlights of the workshop include JE Epidemiology and Control, JE Vaccination Operational Guidelines, Adverse Events following Immunization (AEFI) and other major issues.

Stressing the objective of Japanese Enchapallitis, DC (I), Dr. Pradeep Haldar told that in order to control this deadly disease, campaigns will be primarily launched in three districts in West, Sepahijala and Khowai. More districts will be attached further on the basis of information and importance.

Dr. Paul further told that, The state government took a major step toward improving public health for the first time to introduce vaccine to protect people mostly children against Japanese encephalitis (JE), health department sources said.

Japanese encephalitis mostly spared death or the devastating effects in children. There is no cure for the disease and many of them are left with permanent, life-altering brain damage. Vaccination is the only way to protect against infection. To stop the spreading of this disease, he urged the health workers, doctors and other officials to work jointly against this disease.

It is to be mention that, Japanese encephalitis (JE) virus is a single-stranded RNA virus that belongs to the genus Flavivirus and is closely related to West Nile and Saint Louis encephalitis viruses. E virus is transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito, primarily Culex species. The virus is maintained in an enzootic cycle between mosquitoes and amplifying vertebrate hosts, primarily pigs and wading birds. Humans are incidental or dead-end hosts, because they usually do not develop a level or duration of viremia sufficient to infect mosquitoes.

JE virus is the most common vaccine-preventable cause of encephalitis in Asia, occurring throughout most of Asia and parts of the western Pacific Local transmission. JE virus has not been detected in Africa, Europe, or the Americas. Transmission principally occurs in rural agricultural areas, often associated with rice cultivation and flood irrigation. In some areas of Asia, these ecologic conditions may occur near, or occasionally within, urban centers. In temperate areas of Asia, transmission is seasonal and human disease usually peaks in summer and fall.