JE patient 'isolated' case, no fear of outbreak in city

The recent diagnosis of Japanese encephalitis (JE) in a 72-year-old patient from Delhi is an "isolated case" and does not indicate an outbreak in the Capital, people familiar with the matter at the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said on Thursday.

- Rhythma Kaul

Japanese encephalitis, a zoonotic viral disease caused by the JE virus, is transmitted from animals—particularly pigs, and birds belonging to Ardeidae family such as cattle egrets, pond herons etc.—to humans by the Culex mosquito of the Vishnui group.

The 72-year-old patient in question, a resident of Uttam Nagar in West Delhi, was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, on November 3, with an acute onset of chest pain, the people cited above said.

A known diabetic for over two decades with coronary artery disease and congestive heart failure, the patient also suffered from bilateral lower limb weakness and bowel and bladder incontinence over the past five months.