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In 1999, a village in Malyasia, Sungai Nipah, was the birthplace of our Nipah virus. Now you might know the reason for naming it the Nipah virus. It first affected pigs. To prevent the damage, the government also decided to kill the pigs on a large scale. We can say that they have succeeded because they haven’t had an outbreak since then. Other regions affected by the Nipah virus are Bangladesh and eastern India. As this is a zootonic virus, it spreads from animals to humans. Other examples of zootonic viruses are rabies, anthrax, bird flu, etc. As per the reports, countries like Cambodia, Ghana, Indonesia, Madagascar, the Philippines, and Thailand might also be affected by the Nipah virus as they also have a high fruit bat population.
Lockdown in Kerala and Why Kerala is Affected?
A recent announcement from the NCDC, a government body in India, stated that “disease is not a major outbreak and is only a local occurrence limited to two districts in Kerala, i.e., Kozhikode and Malappuram.” So mostly, there won’t be a lockdown, and the Kerala government is working hard to prevent the disease from spreading. This is not the first time the Kerala government is fighting with the Nipah virus; they have faced it before and are well prepared. Apart from Kerala, we have also seen the Nipah virus outbreak in West Bengal. Scientists would say that the main reason behind more outbreaks in Kerala is that fruit bats, which carry this virus, are more prevalent in Kerala, explaining that Nipah’s seasonality could be linked to the ripening of date palm fruit, which bats lick at night and the same is consumed by humans.
How Dangerous is the Nipah Virus?
Though there are only a few known outbreaks in Asia, we cannot take the Nipah virus lightly, as the mortality rate is estimated at 40% to 75%, which is very high when we have a fatality rate of COVID-19 of less than 1%. Once the virus gets into the body, it takes around 4 to 14 days for the symptoms to manifest. Symptoms range from a person being asymptomatic to an acute respiratory infection and fatal encephalitis. For 20% of survivors, there is a high threat of developing neurological disorders in the future. So when you had an outbreak in your city or town, even at the slightest discomfort, doctors would ask you to go for the Nipah virus tests, which are mainly RT-PCR, ELISA, and PCR tests.
Symptoms of Nipah Virus:
- Fever
- Headache
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Muscle aches
- Dizziness
- Confusion
- Nausea and vomiting
- Severe cases: seizures, coma, encephalitis (brain inflammation)
Long-term complications: neurological problems (20% of survivors)
Treatment
- No cure or vaccine is available yet!
Supportive care:
- Managing symptoms (fever, pain, etc.)
- Intravenous fluids
- Respiratory support, if needed
- Intensive care for severe cases
Staying Safe from the Nipah Virus
The Nipah virus is a serious threat, so it’s better not to ignore the threat. Even “The 2018 annual review of the WHO R&D Blueprint list of priority diseases” indicates that there is an urgent need for accelerated research and development for the Nipah virus. By practicing good hygiene and avoiding risky behaviors, we can minimize the chances of getting affected. So spread the word, not the virus!
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