ABSTRACT
Vector-borne encephalitides are emerging zoonotic diseases, which are endemic to different countries across the world as a dreaded health risk. Along with Japanese encephalitis (JE), other viral vector-borne encephalitides depend on the natural vector–reservoir host cycle that infects a considerable number of vertebrate hosts, including man and a range of domestic animals. Children and adolescents are mainly the soft target of this disease. Mortality of pigs and horses due to encephalitides is usually followed by human loss. Infections in man and other domestic hosts often lead to a high morbidity and mortality in the population, which impart economic adversity to society. Though control measures and vaccination are employed to control encephalitis, the high propagation rate of virus in the reservoir host makes it difficult to eliminate this disease. In addition, vaccination in domestic animals is generally not done in endemic countries due to insufficient supply of vaccines and lack of surveillance. Systematic control of the vector population along with elimination of the reservoir host in endemic areas or translocation of habitats of reservoir hosts, e.g., piggeries from human habitation, is an effective measure. As the virus is transmitted only by the vector, mosquitoes, control of mosquitoes by judicious methods in endemic zones of encephalitis is the foremost step to control/eradicate the disease for the safety of the human population as well as animals of economic importance.
