35 Deaths from Japanese Encephalitis Reported in Nepal in 2025

Kathmandu, Dec 22 — Japanese encephalitis claimed the lives of 35 people in Nepal in 2025, marking a rise in fatalities from the mosquito-borne disease, according to the Ministry of Health and Population.

Dr Abhiyan Gautam, Chief of the Child Health and Immunization Service Section at the Ministry, said that 179 confirmed cases of Japanese encephalitis were recorded this year from a total of 1,739 suspected cases.

The death toll has increased compared to last year, when 24 people died from the infection. Dr Gautam expressed concern over the steady rise in fatalities, noting that seven deaths were reported in 2023, four in 2014, and one in 2017.

He said patients diagnosed this year ranged in age from three to 89 years. Japanese encephalitis is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected Culex mosquitoes.

Out of Nepal’s 77 districts, 28 have been identified as high-risk areas for the disease, which falls under the same category of mosquito-borne infections as dengue.

Dr Gautam added that most of the deaths reported this year occurred among people over the age of 40. However, citing the World Health Organization (WHO), he noted that the majority of Japanese encephalitis cases globally are found in children under 15 years of age.

According to the Ministry, vaccination coverage against Japanese encephalitis in Nepal has reached 82 percent among children, which has helped reduce infections in younger age groups despite the ongoing risk in vulnerable areas.