Epidemiology of Japanese Encephalitis Cases in Dhemaji District of Assam, India

Japanese encephalitis (JE) is one of the most important encephalitis in globe caused due to arthropod borne (arbo) virus infection. A study was carried out in Dhemaji district of Assam to comprehend the present situation of AES/JE cases prevailing in different locality across the district. The study was conducted in 2013 for a period of 1 year. Out of 48 nos of AES cases reported so far over the year from different areas in Dhemaji district of Assam, 28.13% were found JE IgM positive. The age groups of 0 to 15 years were mostly affected. The case fatality rate due to JE virus infection was 44.44%. Clinical symptoms revealed that fever and changes in mental state was a common problem among the AES/JE patient. The initial case was noticed during the month of January and since then sporadic cases were reported from different zones under Dhemaji district over the year. However, the incidence of AES/JE cases was elevated during the month of June to July in Dhemaji district of Assam. Most of the AES/JE cases were reported from Sissiborgaon locality followed by Gogamukh area. The incidence rate of JE cases was higher in Gogamukh and Begenagarah area. Only 22.22% JE positive cases were JE vaccinated and the remaining 77.78% were not vaccinated. High vaccine coverage along with a strong and active surveillance system is required to reduce the incidence of the disease.