NAWALPUR: Over the past two months, four people have died from Japanese encephalitis in Nawalpur.

The Provincial Public Health Office, Nawalpur, reported that from 20 Shrawan to Asoj, the district recorded four deaths due to the disease.

Laboratory Technical Inspector Dilliram Tiwari stated that the deceased included a 13-year-old girl from Hupsekot Rural Municipality-1, a 45-year-old woman from Baudikali Rural Municipality-2, a 52-year-old man from Madhyabindu Municipality-1, and a 67-year-old man from Kawasoti-3.

According to Tiwari, the patients were sent to Bharatpur for treatment, and spinal fluid samples were sent to the National Public Health Laboratory in Teku, Kathmandu, where they tested positive for Japanese encephalitis.

“Patients go to the hospital, and samples must be sent to Kathmandu for testing,” he explained. “Results come late, and in some cases, the patient may already have died.”

So far, a total of 14 people have been infected in the district. Of them, nine have fully recovered, one is under treatment, and four have died, Tiwari added.

He explained, “Japanese encephalitis directly affects the brain, so the condition of infected individuals can deteriorate rapidly, increasing the risk of death.”

Among the infected, six were from Kawasoti Municipality, four from Madhyabindu Municipality, and one each from Hupsekot Rural Municipality, Baudikali Rural Municipality, Gaindakot Municipality, and Devchuli Municipality.

“About 90 percent of those infected show no symptoms, but those who do develop symptoms can face serious health issues,” Tiwari said.

He added that testing samples from neighbors of the deceased confirmed infection in three people, but their conditions are currently normal. The three are being monitored at home by healthcare workers.

According to Tiwari, Japanese encephalitis is a serious disease transmitted by Culex mosquitoes that infect the brain.

The mosquitoes are most active in the evening and early morning, and areas with paddy fields, marshes, and stagnant water provide ideal breeding grounds, increasing the risk of infection.

Severe cases can lead to brain swelling, paralysis, unconsciousness, coma, or death in up to 30 percent of cases.
The disease spreads to humans when mosquitoes infected by birds, poultry, pigs, or wild animals bite people, but it does not transmit directly from person to person.

Meanwhile, Pareshwar Bhurtel, Senior AHW of Kawasoti Municipality’s Health Section, said Kawasoti has the highest number of cases in the district.

Awareness programs about Japanese encephalitis and preventive measures are being conducted through local representatives, school teachers and students, and civil society groups.

Bhurtel advised keeping poultry and pigs away from living areas, using mosquito nets, wearing long-sleeved clothing, and draining stagnant water to prevent mosquito bites.

The Provincial Public Health Office, Nawalpur, reported that three people were infected in the fiscal year 2024/25, while in the previous year (2023/24), 12 people were infected, four of whom died.