India has been facing a frightening and mysterious public health challenge, the Nipah virus. This threat, which emerged in the region, has generated global concerns due to its high rate of mortality and potential to trigger devastating outbreaks.
Due to concerns about the spread of the virus, schools and public institutions are temporarily closed in the country.
Two deaths have already been recorded in the region due to the virus. Nipah. In addition, three other people, one child and two adults, are hospitalized after testing positive. According to local authorities, 800 residents of the Kozhikode region in Kerala were tested.
Understand what the Nipah virus is that worries Indian authorities
Photo: Raj Mohan/Pixabay
Nipah is a zoonotic virus transmitted from animals to humans, causing serious diseases in both. It was first identified in Malaysia in 1999, when outbreaks in pig farms led to transmission to humans.
Nipah virus can cause an acute febrile illness that can progress to severe encephalitis, resulting in a high mortality rate.
Fruit bats are considered the main natural reservoirs of virus, and transmission to humans can occur directly or indirectly, mainly through contact with bodily fluids from infected animals. There is no specific vaccine for Nipah virus, and treatment is mainly supportive.
Surprisingly, the Nipah virus is also a topic of concern in terms of bioterrorism due to its high mortality rate and potential for spread in densely populated communities.
“We are testing humans (…) and at the same time, experts are collecting fluid samples from forested areas that could be the focus of the spread. We are in a phase of hypervigilance and detection,” Veena George, state health minister, told Reuters, reporting that 77 people had been identified as being at high risk of infection.
In Maruthonkara, the village where the first Nipah virus victim lived, samples of bat urine, animal excrement and fruit remains were collected.
The village is close to a 121-hectare forest that is home to several species of bats, and during the region’s first outbreak in 2018, fruit batswhich feed on fruits, tested positive for the virus.
