PROGRAM3

The Hans Foundation

Prevention of JE/AES
Block: Motichak and District: Kushinagar
Health Programme

During this month SKVS conducted meeting with community in five preferred Gram Panchayat on the issue of JE/AES. As the JE/AES is common in rural areas, it becomes more important to take crucial steps in sense of awareness because rural community people usually don’t bother about health & hygiene or in other words we can say they are careless in this matter as they are usually illiterate. SKVS has observed that more & more awareness could bring a progressive result. For this SKVS is working at its best for the community for taking fastidious safety measures from the prevention of JE/AES.

Therefore SKVS tried to endorse more & more awareness building in the community through this meeting on the same. In sense of personal hygiene/sanitation women & girls are taking safety measures & following the rules of hygiene.

The meeting was attended by PRI members, ASHA, anganwadi & community members. SKVS tried to sensitize & aware them through giving more & more information on JE/AES. We discussed with them that how it affects people, its causes, its symptoms, its prevention, and the safety measures to be taken & so on.
Meeting Process

• How it effect people?

Japanese encephalitis is a type of viral brain infection spread through mosquito bites. It’s common in rural areas that infect animals and humans. It is transmitted by mosquitoes and in human causes inflammation of the membranes around the brain. Most JE virus infections are mild (fever and headache) or without apparent symptoms, but approximately 1 in 200 infections results in severe disease characterized by rapid onset of high fever, headache, neck stiffness, disorientation, coma, seizures, spastic paralysis and death. In areas where the JE virus is common, encephalitis occurs mainly in young children because older children and adults have already been infected and are immune.

• How it infects human?

The virus is found in pigs and birds, and passed to mosquitoes that bite the infected animals. It’s more common in rural areas where there are pig farms. It cannot be spread from human to human.

• Symptoms of Japanese encephalitis

In most people, the Japanese encephalitis virus causes no symptoms or mild symptoms that are often mistaken for the flu.
Symptoms usually develop six to eight days after infection (the incubation period).

• Initial symptoms of infection include: being sick
• headache
• mental confusion
• a high temperature (fever) of 38C (100.4F) or above
• feeling sick
• diarrhea
• muscle pain

In more serious and rarer cases, serious symptoms develop, such as:

• seizures (fits)
• changes in mental state, which can range from mild confusion to being very agitated or falling into a coma
• uncontrollable shaking of body parts (tremor)
• losing the ability to speak
• abnormally tense muscles (hypertonic)
• movement problems, such as shaking, stiffness, slowness of movement or paralysis
• difficulties in controlling the movements of the eyes
• difficulties in controlling the muscles of the face

In people who survive the effects of infection, these symptoms should slowly improve. However, it can take several months to make a full recovery and this is not always possible in serious cases, the virus can also cause swelling inside the brain (encephalitis), leading to increased pressure in the brain. This can cause permanent brain damage. . Around 9 out of 10 cases involve children under the age of 15 years. So it is important to take more care & precautions for them.

• Prevention

Follow the advice below to prevent being bitten by infected mosquitoes:

• If possible, sleep in rooms with close-fitting gauze over the windows and doors.
• If this is not possible or you are sleeping outside, use mosquito nets that have been impregnated with an insecticide.
• Spray the room with insecticide in the early evening to kill any mosquito that has got in during the day.
• Mosquitoes that carry the Japanese encephalitis virus are usually most active at dusk and enjoy warm, humid conditions. If you go outside after sunset, cover up with long-sleeved tops, trousers and socks.
• Mosquitoes can bite through skin-tight clothing so, if possible, wear loose-fitting clothes.
• Apply a good-quality insect repellent to any exposed areas of skin.
• Washing hands only with soap or detergent. Avoid using soil or mud for washing hands. Children must have to practice this including the elders of the family. As children usually copy their elders especially their parents, so the parents have to follow this practice first.
• Must use India Marka hand pump to drink water. As it is safe & secure in comparison to the normal hand pumps because it is deeper.
• Way of washing hands was been explained specially to the children. At the same time they were told to practice it in routine as & when required. Like before & after meal, after coming from toilet, after playing etc.
• Cleanliness of the surroundings where they live. It is imperative enough to clean the surroundings as much as the house. The trash can be collected & put into fire. Instead of throwing the garbage in an open it can be thrown in a deep compost pit & can be blaze if possible or can be covered with soil after filling.

This will be a good way of cleaning the surrounding.

• Do not make water to collect in an open. This will endorse more & more mosquitoes to breed. In case of this condition little amount of either kerosene or burn Mobil can be put into the composed water. This will help in prevention from dangerous mosquitoes.

When using insect repellent, follow the guidelines below:

• Do not use the insect repellents on cuts, wounds or irritated skin.
• Do not get insect repellent in your eyes, mouth and ears.
• Do not spray the insect repellent directly onto your face. Spray it onto your hands and then apply it to your face.
• Do not allow young children to apply insect repellent themselves. Put it on your hands and then apply it to your child.
• Wash your hands thoroughly after applying insect repellent.
• Wash off the repellent with soap and water when it is no longer needed.
• Always follow the doctor’s instructions.

If you or your children have an adverse reaction to insect repellent, such as redness, stop using it. Wash it off and contact your local healthcare professional.