TIRUCHY: With the rainy season around, doctors advise parents not to let their guard down as mosquito-borne illnesses tend to spike during this time.
One such illness is Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) which is a group of brain-related conditions that cause sudden fever, confusion, and seizures. One of the major causes of AES in India is Japanese Encephalitis (JE), a mosquito-borne viral infection common in rural and farming regions.
According to data shared by the health department, only five cases of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) and one case of Japanese Encephalitis (JE) have been reported in Tiruchy district as of April 30 this year. This is a significant drop from 41 AES cases reported in 2022, 38 in 2023, and 46 in 2024. The number of JE cases was zero in 2022 and 2023, but increased to two in 2024 and one so far in 2025. Besides, vaccination, credit should go to the corporation and other local bodies for conducting vector control drives on a regular basis.
While AES can have many causes including viruses like herpes and dengue, or even bacterial infections and JE is a key vaccine-preventable cause.
"Controlling JE through vaccination significantly reduces the overall AES burden, especially in children,” said neonatal specialist Dr K Senthil Kumar. Dr M Aleem, a city-based neurologist, said, “Any fever with symptoms like severe headache, fever, confusion, seizures, unusual sleepiness, or unresponsiveness should be treated as an emergency. Don’t mistake it for a normal fever.” Diagnosis of AES usually involves a lumbar puncture, brain scan, and blood tests to find the underlying cause.
With the onset of the monsoon, doctors stressed the need for mosquito control measures, especially around children. “Brain-related infections can turn fatal. We urge parents not to ignore symptoms and maintain mosquito-free surroundings,” Dr. Aleem added.
JE vaccination remains the most effective prevention method in rural and farming areas, which are high-risk zones. From March 2024 to June 2025, a total of 63,874 JE vaccine doses were administered in Tiruchy district including 32,055 for nine-month-old infants and 31,819 booster doses for children aged 1.5 years, as per health officials. The vaccine is administered in all PHCs along with the MMR dose.