Why in news

• Recently, the first case of Japanese encephalitis was registered in Delhi after 13 years.

Japanese encephalitis

• Japanese encephalitis virus is a flavivirus related to dengue, yellow fever and West Nile virus
• It is spread by mosquitoes (especially Culex tritaeniorhynchus).
• This disease occurs more in areas where there is waterlogging, paddy fields, or dirt.
• Mosquitoes breed rapidly in these places, which increases the risk of this disease.

Symptoms

• Sudden very high fever.
• Feeling severe headache.
• Frequent vomiting or feeling nausea.
• Sometimes swelling in the brain can cause unconsciousness, seizures or difficulty in speaking and understanding.