Miles Pharmacy Blog

Japanese Encephalitis (JE) is a viral brain infection that is contracted through mosquito bites. The virus is found in pigs and water birds and is spread to humans when a mosquito bites an infected animal and then bites a human.

Japanese encephalitis is a viral brain infection that is spread to a person who is bitten by an infected mosquito. It is mostly found in rural areas of Southeast Asia, Pacific Islands, and the far east. Despite its name, it is now rarely found in Japan due to mass immunization programmers.

If you have been travelling to rural areas of Southeast Asia, the Far East, or Pacific Islands, you should be aware of the prevalence of Japanese Encephalitis. While it may be uncommon for travellers to acquire it, it is one of the most common viral brain infections found in pigs and birds located in these areas. 

Japanese Encephalitis is a virus related to dengue and yellow fever spread by mosquito bites. Japanese Encephalitis is the main reason for the clinical illness found in many people in various countries in Asia.

Japanese Encephalitis or JE is a disease spread via mosquito bites. Symptoms involve fever, headache, confusion and disorientation, vomiting and difficulty moving.  There are more serious symptoms which can develop later on and these include swelling around the brain which may result in coma and ultimately, death. Miles Pharmacy provides the Japanese Encephalitis vaccine at our Epsom travel clinic where you can also receive advice on how to stay safe when you travel and also advice on the recommended treatment for a disease like Japanese Encephalitis.

The Japanese Encephalitis vaccine offers excellent protection against this disease but this vaccine is not available on the NHS so you will need to access a private clinic for it. Miles Pharmacy has a travel clinic in Epsom which offer a full suite of vaccinations for foreign travel including the Japanese encephalitis injection.