A total of 35 people died from Japanese encephalitis (JE) in Nepal in 2025, according to the Ministry of Health and Population.
Dr. Abhiyan Gautam, Chief of the Child Health and Immunization Service Section, said 179 confirmed cases of Japanese encephalitis were recorded this year out of 1,739 suspected cases.
Last year, the mosquito-borne disease claimed 24 lives. Dr. Gautam expressed concern over the rising annual death toll, noting that 7 deaths were reported in 2023, one in 2017, and four in 2014.
This year, patients diagnosed with the infection ranged from 3 to 89 years of age.
Japanese encephalitis is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected Culex mosquitoes. Of Nepal’s 77 districts, 28 have been identified as high-risk, falling under the same risk group of vector-borne diseases as dengue.
Dr. Gautam said most of this year’s JE-related deaths occurred among individuals over 40 years of age. Globally, however, the majority of cases occur in children under 15, according to the WHO.
He added that 82 percent of children in Nepal have been vaccinated against Japanese encephalitis.
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