21 Jul2014
Another mosquito virus: How the Japanese encephalitis affects our brain
Increasing awareness: The JE virus is the leading cause of vaccine-preventable encephalitis in Asia and the Western Pacific – Filepic
Most people infected by the Japanese encephalitis virus do not develop any symptoms. However, approximately one in 200 infections result in severe brain inflammation.
Japanese encephalitis (JE) is a brain infection that infects both humans and animals. The disease is caused by a Flavivirus (a genus of viruses in the family Flaviviridae) that affects the brain, causing inflammation that is potentially fatal. Epidemics of encephalitis were described in Japan from the 1870s onwards. The JE virus was first isolated in 1935, and has subsequently been found across most of Asia.
Malaysia’s premier heart centre, the National Heart Institute or most commonly referred to as Institute Jantung Negara (IJN), receives cardiology cases referred from all over the country and abroad. Since its establishment in 1992, IJN has kept abreast with the latest medical advances and remains the leading heart-related medical institution in the region. Part of IJN’s success is derived from the numerous multi-centre international clinical trials that are conducted there, many of which positively impact the clinical practice of medical professionals.