Hospital- and laboratory-based investigations of hospitalized children with central nervous system-related symptoms to assess Japanese encephalitis virus etiology in Cuddalore District, Tamil Nadu, India.

A collaborative investigation of hospitalized encephalitic children in south India, between July 2002 and February 2003, has indicated that Japanese encephalitis was confirmed in 27.3% of these children. In developing countries, assessment of actual Japanese encephalitis disease burden requires strengthening of diagnostic laboratory capacities at hospitals.