Japanese encephalitis claims Jhapa woman

JHAPA: A woman died here on Saturday after being bitten by a culex mosquito, also known as the white mosquito in Nepal. The white mosquito reportedly caused Japanese encephalitis on the woman.

The deceased is Basanti Ghimire (52) from Duwagadhi-7 of Jhapa district, Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) Jhapa member Bishwo Thapa quoted the victim's family as saying.

Ghimire died while undergoing treatment at the Nobel Medical College in Biratnagar.

At least five persons have died from Japanese encephalitis after being bitten by culex mosquito in the last four years in Duwagadhi VDC, according to Ved Prasad Ghimire, Vector Disease Controller at District Public Health Office, Jhapa.

Culex is a genus of mosquitoes, several species of which serve as vectors of diseases such as arbovirus infections, West Nile virus, filariasis, Japanese encephalitis, St Louis encephalitis and avian malaria.