An outbreak of Japanese encephalitis in Haryana--1990
Sharma, R.C.; Saxena, V.K.; Bharadwaj, M.; Sharma, R.S.; Verghese, T.; Datta, K.K.
Journal of Communicable Diseases 23(2): 168-169
1991
ISSN/ISBN: 0019-5138 PMID: 1658119 Document Number: 367820
Observations on an outbreak of presumed Japanese encephalitis (JE) from 4 districts of Haryana, India, are presented. Between late September and early December 1990, a total of 288 cases and 191 deaths (case fatality rate, 66.3%) was reported to local health authorities. 38 of 416 villages in Karnal district reported cases. Most cases (80%) were in children below 15 years of age. The density of Culex vishnui and C. quinquefasciatus vectors per man-hour, indoors, was 3.0 and 4.5, respectively (details not given). A large pig population acted as amplifier hosts. This is the first recorded outbreak of JE in Haryana. From September to December 1990, the district health authorities in Haryana (India) reported 288 cases of Japanese encephalitis, with a death rate of 66.3%. The authors consider this to be the first recorded outbreak of the disease in Haryana. Most of 38 affected villages (out of a total of 416) reported 1 or 2 cases. Most cases (80%) were in children aged <15 years. The affected areas had high densities of Japanese encephalitis vectors, and also large pig populations. Diagnosis was by clinical features and by serology of human and pig serum samples.Carolyn A. Brown.