Japanese encephalitis virus infection in an endemic area: hospital based study 1998 to 2000

Abstract

The Gampaha Deputy Provincial Director of Health Services (DPDHS) division reported a large number of Japanese encephalitis (JE) cases during 1996 to 1997. Notified cases included unconfirmed and confirmed cases. A study to determine the true disease burden was considered necessary. The proportion of undifferentiated fever cases due to Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) varies in different populations and the Sri Lankan situation is not known. The objectives were to determine the proportion of undifferentiated fever cases and encephalitis cases due to JEV and the case fatality rate and frequency of neurological sequelae in JE in a tertiary care hospital in Gampaha. A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out in the paediatric and medicine units of the North Colombo Teaching Hospital, Ragamafrom 1998 to 2000. Ninety three randomly selected patients with a diagnosis of undifferentiated fever from whom paired sera could be collected and 32 patients suspected of encephalitis which were not overtly due to mumps, measles or chicken-pox were included. The Armed Forces Research Institute in Medical Sciences Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay for anti-JEV immunoglobulin M and G was used to confirm JEV infection. One of 93 (1.08%) undifferentiated fever cases was due to JEV infection. Eleven of 32 (34.38%) encephalitis cases had JEV infection and 3 (27.3%) had IgM antibodies to JEV in cerebrospinal fluid. Case fatality rate and sequelae at discharge were 11.1% each. JEV was an important cause of encephalitis in Gampaha during this period.

Molecular Characterization of Culturable Aerobic Bacteria in the Midgut of Field-Caught Culex tritaeniorhynchus, Culex gelidus, and Mansonia annulifera Mosquitoes in the Gampaha District of Sri Lanka

“…The JE has occurred in Sri Lanka for decades, seriously threatening human life since 1980 [ 21 ]. Gampaha was one of the districts that had reported a relatively large number of JE cases in the past [ 24 ]. The success of the immunization against JE in Sri Lanka is reflected in the fact that since 1988, the incidence of JE has decreased drastically with the increased coverage of immunization.…”

Acute meningoencephalitis associated with echovirus 9 infection in Sri Lanka, 2009

“…To date, only a few studies on the aetiology of meningoencephalitis in Sri Lanka have been reported [Peiris et al, ; Peiris et al, ; Gunasekera et al, ; Karunarathne et al, ; Mori et al, ] due to limited diagnostic testing capabilities. Routine diagnostic services are available only for JEV by ELISA‐based IgM antibody detection in the public sector.…”

A Case of Acute Viral Encephalitis: Important Aspects and Related Literature Review of Sri Lankan Studies

“…[3] One of the earliest studies performed in 1968 was able to isolate the Sri Lankan Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV). [4] The only virus that had been studied to some extent until recently was the JEV and it had been identified in some endemic areas: in the Western coastal belt up to the Northern Province. A study had identified varicella-zoster and its prevalence was 9%.…”