Kerala has been on high alert due to mysterious deaths of eight people because of an unidentified viral attack. Out of these, three were reported to be caused by Nipah Virus (NiV). As per the National Institute of Virology, Pune, Nipah Virus is the sole cause of these three deaths. Rajiv Sadanandan, Kerala’s health secretary, has assured that the government has started its preparation towards fewer deaths and that people should not panic. An unheard virus, NiV is yet to be understood by many. Here is what the virus is all about.
What is NiV?
As per the World Health Organisation (WHO), Nipah Virus is a newly emerging zoonosis that causes a severe disease in both animals and humans. This virus was first identified in Malaysia and Singapore in 1998. At that time, it was primarily caused in pigs and through them got transferred to humans. Nipah Virus infected as many as 265 people then, out of which 40 percent were taken under intensive care due to the infection having spread severely. As quoted by the WHO, the natural host of the virus are fruit bats of the Pteropodidae Family, Pteropus genus.
The virus can be transferred through infected bats, pigs or humans who have been infected. In 2004, humans who consumed the date palm sap infected by fruit bats caught the virus as well. Humans who were infected by other humans were reported in Bangladesh and India.
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Symptoms: None, fever, cough, headache, confusion
Complications: Inflammation of the brain, seizure
Usual onset: 5 to 14 days after exposure
Causes: Nipah virus (spread by direct contact)
Diagnostic method: Based on symptoms, confirmed by laboratory testing
Prevention: Avoiding exposure to bats, avoid direct contact and sick pigs, not drinking raw date palm sap.
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