Protect Yourself From Japanese Encephalitis: From NYC to Far East…and beyond

We’ve all seen it: Asian people walking around NYC with white surgical masks on their faces. What is it we don’t know? What has caused them to do such an extreme thing? Do these individuals know something they are not telling us? Ahhh! Help!!! Could it be Japanese encephalitis they are attempting to protect against? Maybe it’s bird flu? That was a terrifying prospect for 15 minutes. Hmmm…Japanese encephalitis is carried by birds…That’s true. Just maybe…

All right, there seems to be a lot of misunderstanding when it comes to certain diseases and Japanese encephalitis is definitely one of them. Living in NYC comes with enough problems, we don’t need the threat of a deadly bird-borne bubonic-like plague as well. Thankfully, those of us who reside in NYC do not have to worry about catching Japanese encephalitis. (After all, it’s not called NYC encephalitis.)

Hold it. Rewind. Take it back a bit. What exactly is Japanese encephalitis and why doesn’t NYC have to worry? Japanese encephalitis is a very serious infection caused by rice-field breeding mosquitoes (those damn mosquitoes again!) that become infected with the virus that causes it. Domestic pigs and wild birds are also care carriers of this virulent virus.

People (whether from NYC or not) cannot catch Japanese encephalitis from infected person. They can only catch it from an infected animal. Once infected a person may suffer the following symptoms:

·       A very high fever

·       A very bad headache

·       Neck stiffness

·       A general feeling of cuckoo-ness or in medical parlance, a stupor

·       Disorientation (see above)

·       Occasional convulsions (in infants)

·       Spastic behavior

In other words: it’s time to get to a doctor. A certified travel clinic (and there are many in NYC) will offer a vaccination for those Americans traveling to the high-risk areas. These high-risk areas include:

·       Japan

·       India

·       Indonesia

·       China

·       Brunei

·       Singapore

·       Sri Lanka

·       The Philippines

·       Thailand

·       New Guinea

·       Cambodia

·       Malaysia

·       The Koreas

Many individuals from the United States—and NYC in particular—travel to these regions for both vacation and business. It is important that anyone who finds themselves in these areas of the world has done everything they can do to protect themselves from Japanese encephalitis. It simply makes good sense to do it. When traveling, we protect ourselves in so many ways: money belts, tour guides, etc. Why not add to this practical list a vaccination such as the Japanese encephalitis vaccination, Thailand vaccination, or Cambodia vaccination, that can potentially save your life?

A very special recommendation goes out to anyone who is in the military or is visiting a military man or woman overseas. It is also prudent to note that infections often occur in rural settings. It is very fortunate that Japanese encephalitis is not a big problem in many urban areas. For some reason the disease tends to shy away from big cities (NYC included!).

If you plan on being in any of the high-risk areas, you should get that vaccination. Japanese encephalitis protection is administered in two shots. It is highly effective and safe. Soreness is reported around the inoculation site, but that’s usually what happens when you stick a needle in your flesh. In other words, receive the vaccination with no worries!

For those in the NYC area in search of a decent Japanese encephalitis vaccination in NYC log onto TravelClinicNY.com. This well-respected midtown Manhattan facility is head and shoulders above decent. Staffed by a caring group of dedicated professionals and headed by a board-certified doctor, it’s the travel clinic in NYC. Call 1-212-696-5900 for more info—and to book an appointment for any reason at all.