Urgent health alert issued after second person dies from Japanese encephalitis in NSW

A man has died after contracting Japanese encephalitis while on holiday in southern NSW – the second death claimed by the virus so far this year in the state.

The man, aged in his 70s, died in hospital on March 6 after receiving care for Japanese encephalitis (JE) acquired while on holiday in the Murrumbidgee region.

The death is the second in NSW this year from the virus, which can cause brain swelling and paralysis, and the fourth since the virus was first detected in NSW in 2022.

NSW Health’s Executive Director of Health Protection Dr Jeremy McAnulty said it was important people take all steps to protect themselves and get vaccinated against JE.

“People need to take mosquito borne infections seriously, especially as people start the clean-up from recent floods in an environment where mosquitoes thrive,” he said.

“Standing water, like that left after mass rainfall and floods, makes for ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

“This increases people’s risk of being bitten, especially if they’re working outdoors.”

NSW Health reported a probable further case of JE infection in a man aged in his 20s in northern NSW – the fifth so far in NSW this season.

The man likely acquired the infection in the northwest of the state when travelling between Moree Plains, Tamworth, and Gunnedah shires.

He has been discharged from hospital and is recovering at home.

JE is spread by mosquitoes and can infect both humans and animals, but not between humans, and is native to parts of Asia and the western Pacific.

The virus has no specific treatment, and in severe cases can cause neurological illness, with headaches, convulsions, reduced consciousness, and death.