TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan has reported its first case of Japanese encephalitis this year, the Centers for Disease Control said Tuesday in a press release.
The patient is a woman in her 60s from Chiayi County’s Minxiong Township. The CDC said she had no overseas travel history, though she has a history of chronic illness. In early June, she developed symptoms including fever, confusion, and loss of consciousness, and was hospitalized. Subsequent testing confirmed she had contracted the illness.
The agency said no family members living with the patient have reported similar symptoms. Her activities were primarily limited to the area around her home, including nearby rice paddies, drainage ditches, and other high-risk environments such as pigeon lofts, pig farms, and poultry farms.
Local health authorities have installed mosquito traps near the patient’s residence and surrounding high-risk locations. They have also stepped up health education efforts and asked medical institutions to increase surveillance and reporting.
Health authorities urged the public to take precautions against mosquitoes and encouraged parents to ensure eligible children receive Japanese encephalitis vaccinations. The CDC said Taiwan’s Japanese encephalitis season typically runs from May through October, with infections peaking in June and July. Confirmed nationwide cases during the same period from 2022 to 2025 totaled two, six, eight, and one, respectively, per the press release.
While adults over 40 account for a larger share of reported infections, the agency said people of all ages are at risk and should remain vigilant. The agency said the primary vectors of Japanese encephalitis are the mosquito species Culex tritaeniorhynchus, Culex annularis, and Culex pipiens pallens, which commonly breed in rice paddies, ponds, and irrigation ditches.
Most infected people show no symptoms. Those who do may experience fever and headaches, while severe cases can lead to altered consciousness, disorientation, weakness, coma, or death.
The agency advised people to avoid high-risk areas such as pig farms and animal sheds during peak mosquito feeding periods. Those who must enter such areas should wear light-colored long-sleeved clothing and use government-approved repellents containing DEET, picaridin, or IR3535.
The agency said vaccination remains the most effective method of prevention. Taiwan’s routine childhood immunization schedule includes a first dose at 15 months of age and a second dose 12 months later.
Parents are encouraged to take eligible children to local health centers or contracted medical facilities for vaccination to reduce the risk of severe complications. Residents living near rice paddies, pig farms, or other high-risk environments should also take extra mosquito-control measures.
Adults who believe they face an elevated risk of infection can consult a travel medicine clinic for an assessment and receive the vaccine at their own expense. Additional information is available on the CDC website and the government’s toll-free disease prevention hotline at 1922.
