Japanese encephalitis virus infection

Statutory notification

• Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) infection is a notifiable infectious disease in Western Australia.
• Alert: Cases must be reported urgently by telephone to the local public health unit within a few hours of first suspicion of diagnosis.
• Case definition: See Japanese encephalitis virus infection (external site) national surveillance case definition.
• Notification: Notify using the communicable disease notification form for metropolitan residents (PDF 214KB) or regional residents (PDF 213KB). For notification of regional residents see contact details of public health units.
• See also description of statutory medical notifications in Western Australia.

Public health summary

• Infectious agent: Japanese encephalitis virus.
• Transmission: Mosquito-borne.
• Incubation period: 5 – 15 days.
• Infectious period: Not applicable. No evidence of person to person transmission
• Case exclusion: Do not exclude.
• Contact exclusion: Do not exclude.
• Treatment: Varies according to symptoms, refer to doctor.
• Immunisation: Vaccine available. See Communicable Diseases Network Australia advice regarding vaccination against Japanese encephalitis virus (external site). See also Australian Immunisation Handbook – Japanese encephalitis (external site).
• Case follow up: Conducted by local public health units and the Communicable Disease Control Directorate.

Guidelines for public health units

• Japanese encephalitis case investigation form (Word 77KB)

Notifiable disease data and reports

• General infectious disease reports
• Notifiable infectious disease dashboard