December 20, 2011

India implements measures to curb Japanese encephalitis

The India government has implemented immediate precautionary measures following news reporting 20% of pigs being Japanese encephalitis carriers.

"We are going to send another 100 samples to the National Research Centre for Equines at Hisar for testing. Depending on results, we may have to relocate local pigs and restrict imports from other cities to check spread of the disease," said Dr V K Monga, chairman, MCD health committee.

He also said sanitary conditions around piggeries had to be improved and the breeding of Culex mosquitoes, which carry the virus, curbed through anti-larval measures.

Dr R P Vashishtha, state surveillance officer, said pigs are hosts of the disease.

"JE is a fatal disease transmitted by mosquitoes which affects the brain. It spreads through germs carried by mosquitoes. When a mosquito bites an infected pig and then a human being, the virus enters the body of that person," said Dr Vashishtha.