Nipah in Kerala: The state has shut several schools and offices this week as officials raced to halt the spread of the deadly Nipah virus, which has claimed two people in the fourth outbreak since 2018.
Before we understand why Kerala is susceptible to this virus, here's what you need to know about this deadly, brain-damaging virus:
Where did the virus come from?
First identified in 1998 during an outbreak of illness among pig farmers in Malaysia and Singapore, Nipah virus is able to infect humans directly through contact with the bodily fluids of infected bats and pigs, with some documented cases of transmission among humans.
Nipah has existed among flying foxes for millennia and fear a mutated, highly transmissible strain will emerge from bats.
What are the symptoms and is there a cure?
No, there are no vaccines to prevent or cure the infection, which has a mortality rate of between about 70%. The usual treatment is to provide supportive care. The symptoms include fever, respiratory distress, headaches, and vomiting. Encephalitis and seizures can also occur in severe cases, leading to coma.
The Nipah virus has epidemic potential, says WHO.
Where all has Nipah infected?
In 1998, the virus killed more than 100 people and infected nearly 300 in Malaysia and Singapore . Since then, it has spread thousands of miles, killing between 72% and 86% of those infected.
More than 600 cases of Nipah virus infections were reported between 1998 to 2015, according to WHO data. A 2001 outbreak in India and two more in Bangladesh killed 62 of 91 people infected.
In 2018, an outbreak in Kerala claimed 21 lives, with other outbreaks in 2019 and 2021.
How did it reach from fruit bats to humans?
Parts of Kerala are among those most at risk globally for outbreaks of bat viruses. The virus that is present in the bats get virulent when the mammals are stressed, mostly due to human-induced factors. WHO says emergence of bat-related viral infections communicable to humans and animals has been attributed to the loss of natural habitats of bats.
When stressed and hungry, their immune system gets weaker, their virus load goes up and a lot of virus spills out in their urine and saliva.
Is there a Nipah threat to other states apart from Kerala?
A study by Pune's National Institute of Virology has found Nipah virus antibodies in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya and Puducherry
But why just Kerala has Nipah?
Nipah virus outbreaks are seen in human habitations close to the forest or within the forests. The proximity to forest areas increases human exposure to infected bats and other host animals. Another reason could be surveillance because of frequent outbreaks in Kerala.
Where else in India has Nipah virus happened?
The first Nipah outbreak happened in India in Siliguri district in 2001 and then in Nadia district.
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