Japanese encephalitis is a rare but serious infection of the central nervous system. It is caused by the Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) and is spread by mosquitoes. For most people who contract JEV infection is mild and only 1-4% get any symptoms, for those who get symptoms it can be very serious and cause severe and permanent complications or death.
Japanese encephalitis is a serious disease with no specific treatment. As many as one in three people who develop encephalitis die from the disease. Of those who survive, up to half suffer permanent cognitive, behavioural or neurological complications.
Common early symptoms include fever, diarrhoea, headache, vomiting, muscle weakness, confusion and agitation, paralysis, convulsions and seizures, coma.
JEV is spread through bites of certain species of mosquitoes after they have become infected from feeding on infected waterbirds or pigs. JEV is not transmissible from person to person.
Vaccination eligibility
In Victoria and New South Wales the JE vaccine is available free for people aged two months or older who live or routinely work in any of the following high-risk local government areas of Albury, Alpine, Benalla, Buloke, Campaspe, Gannawarra, Greater Bendigo, Greater Shepparton, Indigo, Loddon, Macedon Ranges, Mansfield, Mildura, Moira, Strathbogie, Swan Hill, Towong, Wangaratta, Wodonga (and in bordering LGAs of Balranald, Berrigan, Edward River, Federation, Greater Hume, Murray River, Horsham, Northern Grampians, West Wimmera, Yarriamback), and who:
- regularly spend time engaging in outdoor activities that place them as risk of mosquito bites, or
- are experiencing homelessness or living in conditions with limited mosquito protection (e.g. tents, caravans, no insect screens), or
- are engaging in outdoor flood recovery (clean-up) efforts, including repeated professional or volunteer deployments.
The risk of exposure to mosquitoes is low at an elevation of greater than 500 metres and therefore, JE vaccination is only recommended for individuals who spend significant time outdoors below this elevation in these LGAs.
NEW – updated JE vaccine booster dose recommendations
JE vaccine booster doses are recommended for people 1-2 years after completion of their primary course who remain eligible in Victoria, and their primary course was with:
- Imojev®, and the individual was <18 years at time of primary dose, OR
- JEspect®, and the individual was ≥18 years at time of primary dose.
Imojev® is contraindicated in people who are immunocompromised, and in pregnant and breastfeeding women. Refer to the Australian Immunisation Handbook for further details.
JE booster doses are funded as part of the Victorian JE vaccination program for eligible people.
There are no restriction in any local government areas for:
- people who work at, reside at, or have a planned non-deferable visit to a: pork abattoir, pork rendering plant or piggery, including farm workers and their families living at the piggery, transport workers, veterinarians and others involved in the care of pigs OR a property that has been confirmed or is suspected to be infected with JE virus.
- personnel who work directly with mosquitoes through their surveillance (field or laboratory based) or control and management, and indirectly through management of vertebrate mosquito-borne disease surveillance systems (e.g. sentinel animals) such as: environmental health officers and workers (urban and remote) and entomologists.
- all diagnostic and research laboratory workers who may be exposed to the virus, such as persons working with JE virus cultures or mosquitoes with the potential to transmit JE virus; as per the Australian Immunisation Handbook.
*Note eligibility criteria is subject to change based on surveillance information.
Click here for more on NSW eligibility.
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