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VIII.74 - Japanese B Encephalitis

from Part VIII - Major Human Diseases Past and Present

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 March 2008

Kenneth F. Kiple
Affiliation:
Bowling Green State University, Ohio
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Summary

Japanese B encephalitis is a relatively uncommon disease, even in areas where the infection is endemic. The disease is one of several caused by arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses); carried by mosquitoes of the genus Culex, this one is a member of the family Togaviridae and genus Flavivirus and thus is an RNA virus. The species of Culex that is the most common insect vector for Japanese B encephalitis is Culex tritaeniorhyncus. The disease was first recognized and described in 1871, and the virus was first isolated in 1935. The infection may appear in epidemic or in sporadic outbreaks, and is carried particularly in swine, but also has been isolated from a variety of birds and from equine animals. The virus is distributed principally in East and Southeast Asia.

Epidemic outbreaks of Japanese B encephalitis, like those of arboviruses in general, tend to occur in regions that are usually dry and arid and, therefore, relatively free of viral activity; such areas may accumulate a large number of individuals who, because of lack of previous exposure, are relatively susceptible. Then with rain and the appearance of conditions favorable to the proliferation of the insect vector, epidemic outbreaks may occur, particularly where there are relatively high population densities of the human host and of the amplifying hosts such as equine or porcine animal species. In addition, there is evidence that for some arboviruses a change occurs in the relative virulence of the infecting strain, which may also account for an epidemic outbreak.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 1993

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References

Buescher, E. L., and Scherer, W. F.. 1959. Ecologic studies of Japanese encephalitis virus in Japan. IX. Epidemiologic correlations and conclusions. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 8.Google ScholarPubMed
Buescher, E. L., et al. 1959a. Ecologic studies of Japanese encephalitis virus in Japan. IV. Avian infection. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 8.Google Scholar
Buescher, E. L., et al. 1959b. Ecologic studies of Japanese encephalitis virus in Japan. II. Mosquito infection. American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 8.Google Scholar
Fukumi, H., et al. 1975. Ecology of Japanese encephalitis virus in Japan. I. Mosquito and pig infection with the virus in relation to human incidences. Tropical Medicine 17.Google Scholar
Hayashi, K., et al. 1978. Ecology of Japanese encephalitis virus in Japan, particularly the results of surveys in every interepidemic season from 1964 to 1976. Tropical Medicine 20.Google Scholar
Hayashi, M. 1934. Uebertragung des Virus von encephalitis epidemica auf Affen. Proceedings of the Imperial Academy of Tokyo 10.Google Scholar
Konno, J., et al. 1966. Cyclic outbreaks of Japanese encephalitis among pigs and humans. American Journal of Epidemiology 84.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mifune, K. 1965. Transmission of Japanese encephalitis virus to susceptible pigs by mosquitoes of Culex tritaeniorhynchus after experimental hibernation. Endemic Diseases Bulletin of Nagasaki University 7.Google Scholar
Sabin, A. B. 1950. Search for virus of Japanese B encephalitis in various arthropods collected in Japan in 1946–1947. American Journal of Hygiene 51.Google ScholarPubMed
Umenai, T., et al. 1985. Japanese encephalitis: Current worldwide status. Bulletin of the World Health Organization 63.Google ScholarPubMed

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