Health authorities record 164 infections across 42 districts as cases rise despite vaccination coverage.
KATHMANDU, OCTOBER 10
The death toll from Japanese encephalitis (JE) across the country has climbed to 31 this year, the highest annual figure in the past decade, according to the Department of Health Services.
Dr. Abhiyan Gautam, Chief of the Child Health and Vaccination Section under the Family Welfare Division, said the virus has so far infected 164 people across 110 local levels in 42 districts. In comparison, 86 infections and five deaths were reported in 2024.
"While vaccination remains effective in preventing the disease, its protection gradually wanes over time, increasing vulnerability," Dr. Gautam explained, adding that authorities are studying whether the surge is linked to higher mosquito activity or the growing trend of pig and duck farming.
Lumbini Province has reported the highest number of deaths at 11, followed by five each in Bagmati and Gandaki, four in Koshi, three in Madhesh, two in Sudurpaschim, and one in Karnali. All deceased were aged above 40, and some had received vaccination in the past.
Japanese encephalitis, a mosquito-borne viral infection, is considered endemic in 28 high-risk districts, with most cases occurring between mid-July and mid-November. Nepal introduced the JE vaccine in 1998, and about 82 percent of children are currently immunized under the National Vaccination Programme.
The first JE case in Nepal was reported in 1978, more than a century after the disease was first identified in Japan in 1861. The infection has since become a recurring public health concern, particularly in the country's southern plains.
