The disease is only present in Asia, primarily in India, South East Asia and China.
The symptoms are headache, fever and reduced consciousness. The infection can cause a life-threatening inflammation of the brain as well as permanent brain damage.
There is no medical treatment of the disease, and therefore vaccination is only recommended for travellers staying in the affected areas for more than 3-4 weeks. In case of an epidemic, vaccination is also recommended for shorter trips.
Mosquito bites should be prevented day and night with suitable remedies and by using mosquito nets. Read more about mosquito bites, which are also a normal infection source for many tropical diseases