Estimating the Incidence of Japanese Encephalitis in Bangladesh

Using data from hospitals plus information collected from communities, investigators estimated an incidence similar to that seen in other JE-endemic countries before vaccine introduction.

Japanese encephalitis (JE) is widespread in Asia and the Western Pacific, but no incidence data are available for Bangladesh. Decisions about cost-effectiveness of vaccination programs require knowledge of disease burden.

To assess JE incidence in Bangladesh, investigators combined surveillance data from three referral hospitals in different parts of the country with information collected in their catchment areas by social networking in rural areas and house-to-house surveys in urban areas. Social networking consisted of meeting with local residents, including community leaders, to identify individuals with suspected meningoencephalitis during the previous year and then visiting their households to determine whether these individuals met the…

Reviewing Author

Mary E. Wilson, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardOneHealthTrust (formerly Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics, and Policy); Global Health Institute, University of Wisconsin

RoyaltiesUpToDate

Editorial BoardsJournal of Travel Medicine

Mary E. Wilson, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardOneHealthTrust (formerly Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics, and Policy); Global Health Institute, University of Wisconsin

RoyaltiesUpToDate

Editorial BoardsJournal of Travel Medicine