Nipah virus outbreak in Kerala: Nipah virus attack is back in Kerala after the state reported two deaths in its Kozhikode district. Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya confirmed that the deaths were due to the Nipah virus.
According to the Health Minister, four suspected cases are currently under surveillance. According to media reports, their samples have been sent to the National Institute of Virology, Pune.
The first death took place on August 30 and the second death on September 11. The man who died on August 30 was 44 years old, while the second person who died was a 40-year-old man. The active case of patients includes a nine-year-old and a 24-year-old relative of the deceased.
A Central government team of four experts has also been sent to Kerala to assist the State government in surveillance and reduction in the response time, said the Minister, as per media reports.
According to a report by Indian Express, the clinical symptoms among patients who contracted the Nipah virus in Kozhikode are different this time from the symptoms seen in previous outbreaks.
Dr A S Anoop Kumar, the director of critical care medicine at Aster MIMS hospital in Kozhikode, said, as quoted by Indian Express, all the cases seen this year mainly show symptoms of respiratory infection.
According to him, this makes early diagnosis difficult as many people contract viral fever and influenza, which have similar symptoms, during the rainy season. Meanwhile, State Health Minister Veena George said that the virus strain seen in Kerala was the Bangladesh variant that spreads from human to human and has a high mortality rate. However, she also maintained that it is less infectious.
According to the State Health Minister, more than 130 people have been tested for the virus. Moreover, Seven village panchayats in Kozhikode district — Atanchery, Maruthonkara, Tiruvallur, Kuttiyadi, Kayakkodi, Villyapalli, and Kavilumpara — have been declared as containment zones. Meanwhile, the government also announced restrictions and measures to prevent the spread of the infection.
Since 2018, this is the fourth outbreak of the Nipah virus in Kerala. According to media reports, 21 of the 23 infected people died when Kerala first reported the Nipah outbreak in 2018. In 2019 and 2021, Nipah claimed two more lives.
What is Nipah Virus?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Nipah Virus is a zoonotic disease as it spreads from animal to person. Fruit bats, also called flying foxes, are the animal reservoir for Nipah virus in nature. The Nipah virus is also known to cause illness in pigs and people.
Nipah Virus is linked with encephalitis (swelling of the brain) and can cause mild to severe illness and even death. According to the CDC, outbreaks occur almost annually in parts of Asia, primarily Bangladesh and India.
In 1999, Nipah Virus was discovered for the first time after an outbreak of disease in pigs and people in Malaysia and Singapore. According to CDC, this outbreak can lead to nearly 300 human cases and more than 100 deaths. The outbreak also led to a substantial economic impact as more than 1 million pigs were killed to help control the outbreak.
According to CDC, the symptoms of NiV infection range from mild to severe, with death occurring in 40 per cent–70 per cent of those infected in documented outbreaks between 1998 and 2018.
How Nipah Virus is transmitted?
According to the CDC, Nipah Virus can spread from to people from:
- Direct contact with infected animals, such as bats or pigs, or their body fluids
- Consuming food products that have been contaminated by body fluids of infected animals
- Close contact with a person infected with NiV or their body fluids
What are the symptoms of Nipah Virus?
According to the CDC, the Nipah Virus can cause mild to severe disease, including swelling of the brain (encephalitis) and potentially death.
“Nipah virus infection can lead to a range of symptoms, including fever, headache, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting. As the infection progresses, individuals may develop acute respiratory failure and encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), which can lead to confusion, seizures, and even coma. Some individuals may also experience atypical symptoms like cough and sore throat,” Dr Anurag Aggarwal, Consultant, Internal Medicine, Fortis Escorts Hospital, Faridabad told Financial Express.com.
Symptoms may initially include one or several of the following:
- Fever
- Headache
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Difficulty breathing
- Vomiting
Severe symptoms may follow, such as:
- Disorientation, drowsiness, or confusion
- Seizures
- Coma
- Brain swelling (encephalitis)
In 40-75 percent of cases, death can occur. According to the US health body, persistent convulsions and personality changes have been observed as side-effects among survivors.
How Nipah Virus infection is treated?
According to CDC, as there are no licensed treatments available for Nipah virus (NiV) infection, treatment is limited to supportive care, including rest, hydration, and treatment of symptoms as they occur.
How to prevent Nipah Virus infection?
According to Dr. Aggarwal, prevention of Nipah virus primarily involves:
- Avoiding Close Contact: Stay away from infected individuals, especially those showing symptoms, and avoid close contact with their bodily fluids.
- Hygiene: Practicing good hand hygiene by frequently washing hands with soap and water can help reduce the risk of infection.
- Avoid Fruit Bats: Nipah virus is often transmitted through fruit bats. Avoid contact with them and do not consume fruits that may have been contaminated by bat saliva or urine.
- Quarantine Measures: Rapidly identifying and isolating suspected cases can help prevent the virus from spreading within communities.
- Awareness: Stay informed about outbreaks in your region and follow public health guidelines.
- Protective Gear: Healthcare workers should use appropriate personal protective equipment when caring for infected individuals.
Promptly seeking medical care if you or someone you know develops symptoms is crucial for early diagnosis and containment, he added.
