Second 2025 death from Japanese encephalitis recorded in NSW

A second person has died of Japanese encephalitis (JE) in New South Wales this year, after a previous fatality in February.

A man in his 70s, who is believed to have contracted the virus while holidaying in the Murrumbidgee region, died in hospital on March 6, NSW Health said.

He had been receiving care for JE.

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The previous victim of the virus this year, who died on February 23, was also a man aged in his 70s who had been holidaying in the Murrumbidgee region.

The most recent fatality brings the state's death toll from the virus to three after JE was first detected in NSW in 2022.

NSW Health said another "probable" case of JE had been identified in a man in his 20s in the state's north.

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He was likely infected when travelling between the Moree Plains, Tamworth, and Gunnedah shires.

He has been discharged from hospital and is recovering at home.

He would be the fifth person infected with JE in NSW this season.

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NSW Health executive director of health protection Dr Jeremy McAnulty said it was important people take all steps to protect themselves and get vaccinated against JE.

"People need to take mosquito-borne infections seriously, especially as people start the clean-up from recent floods in an environment where mosquitos thrive," McAnulty said.

"Standing water, like that left after mass rainfall and floods, makes for ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes. This increases people's risk of being bitten, especially if they're working outdoors."

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JE vaccines are available through local GPs, Indigenous health services, and pharmacists to anyone who lives or routinely works in various inland LGAs or high-risk occupations.

It is free for people who meet the eligibility criteria. Find out more here.

People seeking to get the jab should let their provider know early, as they may require a few days' notice to order the vaccine.

What is JE?

JE virus is spread by mosquitoes and can infect animals and humans.

The virus cannot be transmitted between humans and it cannot be caught by eating pork or other pig products.

There is no specific treatment for JE which, in some cases, can cause severe neurological illness with headache, convulsions, reduced consciousness, and death.

The best thing people can do to protect themselves and their families is to take steps to avoid mosquitoes, including by using insect repellent and wearing long, body-covering clothing.

More information about the virus and protecting yourself is available here.

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