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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol.7, No.10

Publication Date: October 25, 2020

DOI:10.14738/assrj.710.9200.

Ambarawati, I. G. A. A., Adi, A. A. A. M., Damayanti, P. A. A., Kardena, I. M. & Hongo, C. (2020). Knowledge and Prevention of Farmer

Households to the Japanese Encephalitis Infection in Badung Regency, Bali Province, Indonesia. Advances in Social Sciences Research

Journal, 7(10) 37-48.

Knowledge and Prevention of Farmer Households to the Japanese

Encephalitis Infection in Badung Regency, Bali Province, Indonesia

I Gusti Agung Ayu Ambarawati

Agribusiness Study Program, Faculty of Agriculture, Udayana University, Indonesia;

**Center on Food Availability for Sustainable Improvement (CFASI), Udayana University,

Indonesia

Anak Agung Ayu Mirah Adi

Lab of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Udayana University, Indonesia;

**Center on Food Availability for Sustainable Improvement (CFASI), Udayana University,

Indonesia

Putu Ayu Asri Damayanti

Parasitology Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine,

Udayana University, Indonesia

I Made Kardena

Lab of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine,

Udayana University, Indonesia

Chiharu Hongo

Center for Environmental Remote Sensing, Chiba University, Japan;

**Center on Food Availability for Sustainable Improvement (CFASI), Udayana University,

Indonesia

ABSTRACT

It was reported that 326 Japanese Encephalitis (JE) cases in Indonesia in

2016, majority cases (69.3%) occurred in Bali. It shows that Bali is a

prone-area to JE incidence. Previous studies noted that JE is closely

related to rural and suburban areas where rice culture and pig farming

coexist. This study aims at i) determining knowledge and preventive

practices of JE by farmer households; (ii) observing types of mosquitos

around farmer households; and (iii) mapping the potency of JE spread

using geo-spatial information. Result from this research shows that

farmer households have limited knowledge and preventive actions to

the incidence of Japanese encephalitis. Preventive actions carried out by

respondents were not for JE incidence as such. Nonetheless, farmer’s

response to source of vectors and cleanliness are good preventive

actions not just to JE incidence but also for other diseases. In this

research, setting up mosquito’s light traps nearby pig pens and rice

fields has been successful. The result shows that Culex

tritaeniorhynchus was dominant type of mosquito trapped. This is an

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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol.7, Issue 9, September-2020

indication that the selected areas are susceptible to the incidence of JE

as the Culex sp was reported as the most competent of JE vector in Asia.

Maps of the JE spread in Badung regency also coincidence with the

places of Culex sp trapped and the dense of rice field. Based on the

limitation of knowledge and preventive actions carried out by farmer

households, it is important for the stakeholders in the regency including

Regional Health Office and health care workers to socialize the

occurrence of JE in the community and how to prevent against the

disease.

Keywords: Japanese encephalitis (JE) spread, farmer’s knowledge,

prevention to JE infection.

INTRODUCTION

Rice farmers stand facing not only production risk but also their health threat. One potency threat

is the incidence of Japanese encephalitis (JE). It is a disease of the rural agricultural areas where

vector mosquitoes live and grow in close association with the main vertebrate hosts such as pigs,

wading birds and ducks.1

WHO (2015) noted that the geographic range of JEV infection at present extends from eastern to

Southeast Asia and northern Australia, and to southern Asia. The incidence of JE is likely to increase

in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, North Korea, Pakistan, Philippines and other

countries. Several studies in Indonesia indicated that JE infection is closely related to intensified

rice farming, pig rearing, and the lack of vaccination programs and surveillance.2,3,4

The annual incidence of clinical disease varies both across and within endemic countries, ranging

from <1 to >10 per 100 000 population or higher during outbreaks. It was estimated that nearly

68,000 clinical cases of JE globally each year, about 20 to 30% causing death. JE primarily affects

children. Most adults in endemic countries have natural immunity after childhood infection, but

individuals of any age may be affected (WHO 2015).5 A study by Kari et al. (2006)2 reported that the

prevalence rate of JE incidence in Bali was 8.2 per 100,000 children under 10 years of age.

The JE cases become an emerging issue of health in Indonesia and Bali island has the highest rate

case of incidence. The Indonesian Ministry of Health reported that there were 326 JE cases in

Indonesia in 2016, among those 69,3% occurred in Bali. It shows that Bali is a prone-area to JE

incidence. Bali island is known for its rice planting activities almost throughout the year under the

subak (traditional rice farmer organization) system and pig rearing is carried out by many Balinese

rural community for savings. These activities bring risks to the incidence of JE infection.

Previous study on JE patients showed there were significant relationships between distance of rice

field and pigpens to the incidence of JE.3,6,7 A current study by Damayanti et al. (2017)7 on

seroprevalence of JE virus (JEV) in pigs in five regencies of JE cases in Bali reported that 60% of the

pigs observed had positive antibody against JE virus. Badung regency has the high rate of JEV

antibody. This implies that pigs are truly one of the risk factors of JE infection.

JE is mosquitos borne zoonotic disease in Indonesia and it is caused by Culex. tritaeniorhynchus, the

primary vector of JEV. It is found mainly in irrigated rice fields and JE is concentrated mainly in

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Ambarawati, I. G. A. A., Adi, A. A. A. M., Damayanti, P. A. A., Kardena, I. M. & Hongo, C. (2020). Knowledge and Prevention of Farmer Households to the

Japanese Encephalitis Infection in Badung Regency, Bali Province, Indonesia. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 7(10) 37-48.

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.710.9200 39

countries where extensive irrigated rice agriculture system exists.1,6 Mosquitos play important

roles in transmitting JEV where the virus cannot directly transmit between hosts without vectors.

Rosen et al. (1989)9 noted several types of mosquitos were competent to transmit JEV. It was not

just Culex sp but also Aedes sp.

The incidence of JE infection among children in Indonesia and in Bali especially is not frequently

reported and well-documented.8 The increase incidence of JE cases in Indonesia and in Bali made

the government more aware to the health issues of the prevention program through vaccination.

There is no study yet conducted in Indonesia and Bali on the knowledge and prevention practices

of the farmer households to the incidence of JE. Since JE incidence occupied with rice paddy and pigs

as one of the amplifying host of JE, it is important to raise several research questions as follows.

1. are farmer households aware of the JE incidence surrounding them and do they have

preventive actions against JE incidence?

2. what type of mosquitos live at surround rice field of farmer households that could be vectors

to transmitting JE virus?

3. where is the potency of JE spread related to rice farming area?

Based on the above-mentioned research questions, this research has three objectives namely:

1. finding out knowledge and preventive practices of JE infection by farmer households

regency;

2. observing types of mosquitos around JE farmer households in Badung regency;

3. mapping the potency of JE spread in Badung regency using geo-spatial information .

Benefits from this research include identification of knowledge and prevention practices related to

the socio-economic factors attributable to the JE transmission among farmer households.

Conducting an observation of mosquito types surround farmer households in this study will provide

more information to take different strategy for the health care workers and community to anticipate

the JE incidence. Owing to the lack of JE information among rural households, it is interesting to

integrate potency of JE prone area using geo-spatial information.

RESEARCH METHODS

This research was designed to provide data base of knowledge and preventive practices carried out

by farmer households to the incidence of JE and to record the potency of JE distribution using spatial

information in Badung regency, Bali. This study included socio-demographic background of the

households related to the disease occurrence. Furthermore, observation to the types of mosquitos

was carried out in this study at the surrounding to the JE-prone area close to the farmer households.

Then mapping the JE potency distribution in Badung area will add some more information to

previous studies on the seroprevalence of JE virus in some animals 6,7 and hospital-based

surveillance of JE patients in Bali.2,3

Research Site

Badung regency was purposively selected as the research site considering that this area had the

highest rate of antibody of JE virus in pigs.7 In addition, specific area of irrigated areas (subak) were

selected of dense site of rice field for mosquito observation.