KATHMANDU, Oct 3: A total of 131 people have tested positive for Japanese encephalitis (JE) in Nepal so far this year, with 28 deaths reported, according to the Family Welfare Division under the Ministry of Health and Food Safety.
Of the 1,372 people diagnosed with acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) in 2026, 131 tested positive for JE. About 87 percent of those infected had not received the JE vaccine.
9 people die from Japanese Encephalitis in this season
JE has been reported in 90 local units across 37 districts, with most cases found among people living near paddy fields and pig farms and those involved in agriculture.
The government is conducting vaccination campaigns in affected areas, including all local units of Jhapa and three local units in Kailali. People aged 30 and above and health workers are the target groups.
So far, 111,790 people in Kailali and 346,777 in Jhapa have received the JE vaccine. The government provides a dose at 12 months under its routine immunization program and allows catch-up vaccination up to age five.
Doctors also advise people to protect themselves from mosquito bites to prevent JE.
