Incidence of Japanese Encephalitis and Acute Encephalitis Syndrome Hospitalizations in the Medium-Endemic Region in Central India.

Background: We estimated the incidence of Japanese encephalitis (JE) and acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) following routine immunization with the live-attenuated SA 14-14-2 JE vaccine.

Methods: We implemented enhanced surveillance of AES and JE hospitalizations in endemic districts in Maharashtra and Telangana States during 2015-2016 and 2018-2020. We estimated incidence and compared differences in the incidence of JE and AES between two states, and vaccinated and unvaccinated districts during two study periods.

Effectiveness of Japanese encephalitis vaccination among children in central India.

Japanese encephalitis (JE) disease among children continues in central India despite vaccination implemented in the routine immunization program. Therefore, we planned to estimate the JE vaccination effectiveness among children by undertaking a 1:2 individually-matched population-based case-control study from August 2018 to October 2020. The laboratory-confirmed JE cases aged 1-15 years were enrolled along with neighborhood controls without fever and encephalitis matched on the residence area, age and sex.

Coverage of Japanese encephalitis routine vaccination among children in central India.

We aimed to estimate the coverage of Japanese encephalitis (JE) vaccination in central India to help explain the continued occurrence of JE disease despite routine vaccination. We implemented a 30-cluster survey for estimating the coverage of JE vaccination in the medium-endemic areas implemented with JE vaccination in central India. The parents were enquired about the uptake of the JE vaccine by their children aged 2-6 years, followed by verification of the immunization cards at home along with reasons for non-vaccination.

Infectious causes of acute encephalitis syndrome hospitalizations in Central India, 2018-20.

Background: We enhanced surveillance of hospitalizations of all ages for acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) along with infectious aetiologies, including the Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV).

Methods: From October 2018 to September 2020, we screened neurological patients for AES in all age groups in Maharashtra and Telangana States. AES cases were enrolled at study hospitals along with other referrals and sampled with cerebrospinal fluid, acute and convalescent sera.