Japanese Encephalitis Virus as Cause of Acute Encephalitis, Bhutan

Sonam Wangchuk; Tshewang Dorji Tamang; Jit Bahadur Darnal; Sonam Pelden; Karma Lhazeen; Mimi Lhamu Mynak; G William Letson; Shalini Khare; Brandon Troy Leader; Anthony A Marfin; Susan L Hills

doi:10.3201/eid2609.200620

Japanese Encephalitis Virus as Cause of Acute Encephalitis, Bhutan

Emerg Infect Dis. 2020 Sep;26(9):2239-2242. doi: 10.3201/eid2609.200620.

Authors

Sonam Wangchuk, Tshewang Dorji Tamang, Jit Bahadur Darnal, Sonam Pelden, Karma Lhazeen, Mimi Lhamu Mynak, G William Letson, Shalini Khare, Brandon Troy Leader, Anthony A Marfin, Susan L Hills

Abstract

In 2011, Bhutan's Royal Centre for Disease Control began Japanese encephalitis (JE) surveillance at 5 sentinel hospitals throughout Bhutan. During 2011-2018, a total of 20 JE cases were detected, indicating JE virus causes encephalitis in Bhutan. Maintaining JE surveillance will help improve understanding of JE epidemiology in this country.

Keywords: Bhutan; Japanese encephalitis; acute encephalitis syndrome; meningitis/encephalitis; mosquitoes; vector-borne disease; vector-borne infections; viruses.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

Bhutan / epidemiology
Encephalitis Virus, Japanese*
Encephalitis*
Encephalitis, Japanese* / epidemiology
Hospitals
Humans