TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan has reported its first Japanese encephalitis death this year after a woman in her 70s from Taoyuan died following a mid-July diagnosis, the Centers for Disease Control said Tuesday.
The woman, who had underlying chronic health conditions, was hospitalized after her condition deteriorated and died in late July, the CDC said in a press release. She is Taiwan’s first fatality from the mosquito-borne disease this year.
The agency said her household contacts have not developed suspected symptoms. However, she lived in a high-risk area near rice fields, streams, pig farms, and pigeon coops, all environments associated with mosquitoes that can transmit the virus.
The CDC also announced a new confirmed case involving a Taoyuan man in his 50s. He developed a fever and headache in mid-July before collapsing two days later. He was hospitalized, tested positive for Japanese encephalitis, and remains under medical care.
Health authorities have launched an epidemiological investigation around the man’s residence, installed mosquito traps, and stepped up mosquito control, public health education, and childhood vaccination efforts.
The CDC said Taiwan has recorded 10 confirmed Japanese encephalitis cases this year, including one death. Six cases have been reported in Taoyuan, with one each in Changhua, Yunlin, Chiayi, and Hualien.
Japanese encephalitis season in Taiwan typically runs from May through October, with cases peaking in June and July. During the same period from 2022 to 2025, Taiwan recorded 17, 19, 21, and 19 cases, respectively, with one to two deaths each year, the CDC said. The agency said adults over 40 account for most confirmed cases, although people of all ages are susceptible to infection.
Mosquitoes that transmit Japanese encephalitis commonly breed in rice paddies, ponds, irrigation ditches, and streams. Most infected people do not develop symptoms, but those who do may experience fever, headache, and vomiting. Severe infections can cause altered consciousness, disorientation, muscle weakness, seizures, coma, and death.
The CDC advised the public to avoid outdoor activities near pig farms, animal sheds, and other high-risk areas during peak mosquito activity at dawn and dusk. People who must enter such areas should wear light-colored long-sleeved clothing and use government-approved insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, or IR3535.
The agency said vaccination remains the most effective way to prevent Japanese encephalitis. Taiwan’s routine childhood immunization schedule includes a first dose at 15 months of age and a second dose 12 months later.
The CDC urged parents to ensure eligible children receive vaccinations on schedule and advised adults living near high-risk environments, such as pig farms and rice paddies, to consult travel medicine clinics if they wish to receive a self-paid Japanese encephalitis vaccine.
