The Kerala health department was put on high alert on Monday morning after the death of three members of a family in Kozhikode due to Nipah virus.
At least nine people have died in Kerala’s Kozhikode district due to Nipah virus, an infection which has high fatality rate and spreads mainly through bats, pigs and other animals, state health officials said.
What is Nipah virus (NiV)?
NiV infection can occur in humans or animals. Fruit bats from the Pteropodidae Family are thought to be the natural carriers of the disease.
The first major outbreak of NiV in 1998 that left more than 100 people dead in Malaysia supposedly saw domesticated pigs as the hosts, according to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO). In 2001, the first outbreak occured in India in the state of West Bengal and was attributed solely to fruit bats.
In 2001, many in Bangaladesh fell ill after consuming palm sap which had been contaminated by the fruit bat. WHO also stated that human to human transmission is also seeing a steady rise.
Nipah virus signs and symptoms:
1. Infection with Nipah virus is associated with encephalitis (inflammation of the brain).
2. Respiratory illness during the early part of the infection can also be noticed.
3. 3-14 days of persistent fever and headache, drowsiness, disorientation and mental confusion.
4. These signs and symptoms can lead to coma within 24-48 hours.
5. Many even show severe neurological signs like convulsions and pulmonary signs.
The symptoms are often mistaken with Japanese Encephalitis. During the outbreak in Malaysia, up to 50 per cent of clinically apparent human cases died.
Nipah virus precautions:
Since the virus can be transmitted easily, precautions are important for hospital workers in charge of taking care of the infected patients. Precautions should also be taken when submitting and handling laboratory samples, as well as in slaughterhouses.
Nipah virus treatment:
Treatment is limited to supportive care. There is no specific treatment of the Nipah virus encephalitis, no vaccine either.
ALSO READ : World Hypertension Day 2018 : 6 Ways to Prevent this lifestyle disease
