"JE" Pandemic?

 The confusion spawned by the "Nipah/JE" disinformation is remarkably persistent, and RTM has fallen victim to its own propaganda. Not content with sticking the JE (Japanese encephalitis) label indiscriminately on viral encephalitis of diverse etiology in Malaysia (inflammation of the brain caused by different viruses), TV1 made the astonishing reference on Sept 12, 1999 (Sunday, 11pm news bulletin) to "the St Louis JE outbreak" currently assailing New York City. St Louis JE epidemic? St Louis encephalitis caused by the JE virus? Japanese encephalitis caused by the St Louis virus? This idiocy is going pandemic.

Let’s be clear on terminology before we embarrass ourselves further with claims that it took us only 5 days to isolate the "Nipah JE" virus, and a further 2 weeks to establish its identity distinct from the "Hendra JE" virus. Japanese encephalitis is caused by a mosquito-borne flavivirus (JE virus). Nipah disease is another encephalitic illness caused by close, physical contact with live pigs infected with the recently discovered, newly-named Nipah virus (a paramyxovirus). St Louis encephalitis is caused by yet another distinct flavivirus (SLE virus).

Mistakes in viral nomenclature are not merely academic, or a cause for embarrassment. The resulting misdiagnoses, as we have seen, are tragically lethal and the authorities seem reluctant to clear up the confusion left by their bungled handling of the Nipah tragedy.

Could it be that if we look east for too long, all things begin to appear Japanese?