An Australian man returned from Thailand has died from the rare but potentially fatal mosquito-borne disease, Japanese encephalitis.
It is understood to be only the 10th case of the disease recorded in Australia since 2001 and one of only a handful of deaths in that time, although Japanese encephalitis is endemic in South-East Asia, where is it most commonly found in rural or farming areas.
The Victorian man in his 60s had visited Phuket for 10 days in early May and became lethargic on day eight.
After returning home he struggled to stay awake and went to hospital a few days later in a confused state.
His conscious state continued to diminish, and he was eventually admitted to the intensive care unit, where he died.
Japanese encephalitis causes a brain infection that is fatal in about 20 to 30 per cent of cases.
But not all mosquitoes carry the virus and the risk of catching it is “vanishingly rare”, according to Steven Tong, who treated the man at Royal Melbourne Hospital.
“We don’t have Japanese encephalitis within Australia itself, so it has to be acquired during travel to areas of risk,” he said.
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