Indian researchers determine Japanese encephalitis virus as competent to damage brain
It has come to the knowledge from a recently published study of the National Brain Research Center at Manesar, Haryana that the, much known, Japanese encephalitis virus or 'brain fever' virus has sufficient competence to damage the brain and that can be in two ways. What is more, at several times, it makes persons, especially in the process of recovering, experience psychiatric problems like mental retardation, learning disabilities, speech and movement disorders and behavioural abnormalities.
The study was accomplished under the auspices of Dr. Anirban Basu and his graduate student Sulagna Das, and according to their estimation, the virus chiefly responsible for the disease inflict damage upon the brain by exterminating brain cells. Apart from this the virus is also instrumental to damage the brain through precluding the birth of new cells from neural stem/progenitor cells (NPC) and depleting the NPC pool.
Speaking on this Dr. Basu, as the preeminent researcher of the study, stated, "It's a double hit to the brain, the JE virus causes brain injury by killing neurons as well as prevents its repair." However to his consideration the children, especially between 2-8, are most vulnerable to the onslaught of this virus since it leads to the development of large-scale loss in the Central Nervous System.
On this he said, "Children are at a dynamic stage of brain development, hence infection at this stage can have devastating effects on mental functions later in life. Our study has tried to explore how JEV infection leads to development of long-term cognitive deficits in the survivors." It is to be noted that Dr. Basu has been involved with the neurobiology of JEV infection for the past four years at a stretch.
There is no doubt that the saga of JE has become the cause of a major concern since it is a foremost reason of mortality and morbidity in the extensive regions of South East Asia. This brings to the fore that there are only few ways to treat these kinds of neurological and psychiatric problems. It has to be either through strengthening the brain repair or by means of defending the repair mechanism.
