Kerela Government's hard work pays off!. Kerala Government has declared Kozhikode and Malappuram districts free from Nipah virus infection.
- These districts were declared as temporarily Nipah free as no positive case of the infecton was reported till completion of double incubation period of the virus.
- Earlier in June 2018, state government had lifted the travel advisory issued in the wake of the virus for travelling to any part of the state.
- It also had lifted high alert in districts and said the virus has been brought under control and its spread checked.
- It must be noted that educational institutions were also reopened.
What is Nipah Virus (NiV) Infection?
- NiV infection is a zoonotic disease (disease transmitted to humans from animals) that causes severe disease in both animals and humans.
- The organism which causes Nipah Virus encephalitis is RNA or Ribonucleic acid virus of family Paramyxoviridae, genus Henipavirus, and is closely related to Hendra Virus.
Origin of Nipah Virus:
- It was first identified in 1999 during outbreak among pig farmers in Malaysia and Singapore.
- It gets its name from Sungai Nipah, a Malaysian village, where pig farmers became ill with encephalitis.
- In these subsequent outbreaks, there were no intermediate hosts of the virus.
- In Bangladesh in 2004, humans got infected after consuming date palm sap that had been contaminated by infected fruit bats.
How the virus came into occurence?
- Fruit bats of Pteropodidae Family, Pteropus genus are natural host of the virus.
- The virus is present in bat urine and potentially, bat faeces, saliva, and birthing fluids.
- Presumably, first incidence of NiV infection occurred when pigs in Malaysian farms came in contact with fruit bats who had lost their habitats due to deforestation.
How this virus is transmitted?
- The virus spreads fast and is mostly fatal. Infected bats shed virus in their excretion and secretion.
- It cannot be transmitted through air. It is transmitted through direct contact with infected bats, pigs.
- Human to Human transmission from other NiV-infected people is also reported.
What are the signs & symtoms among people who are infected with this virus?
- NiV infection in humans has range of clinical presentations i.e., from asymptomatic infection to acute respiratory syndrome and fatal encephalitis (inflammation of brain).
- After exposure and incubation period of 5 to 14 days, illness presents with 3-4 days of fever and headache, followed by drowsiness, disorientation and mental confusion.
- These signs and symptoms can progress to coma within 24 to 48 hours.
- The mortality rate of patients infected with NiV infection is reportedly 70%.
- By the way, it is capable of causing diseases in domestic animals too.
What is the treatment?
- There is no vaccine for NiV disease either for humans or animals.
- The main treatment for those infected is intensive supportive care and supportive medicines.
- NiV Infection can be prevented by avoiding exposure of infected people without protective gear.
- In disease prone areas, fruits strewn on the ground should not be eaten, for safety.
