Ernakulam: After claiming the lives of 17 people in Kerala last year, the deadly Nipah virus seems to have resurfaced in the state. State Health Minister KK Shylaja has confirmed that a 23-year-old man has been tested positive for the virus in Kerala's Ernakulam.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Nipah virus is a newly emerging disease that can be transmitted from its reservoir (natural wildlife host) and the flying foxes (fruit bats) to both animals and humans.
It takes its name from Sungai Nipah, a village in Malaysia where it was first identified.
Here is all you need to know about the deadly virus
What is Nipah virus?
Nipah virus is a zoonotic virus (it is transmitted from animals to humans) and can also be transmitted through contaminated food or directly from a contaminated person.
In infected people, it causes a range of illnesses from asymptomatic (subclinical) infection to acute respiratory illness and fatal encephalitis.
The virus can also cause severe disease in animals like pigs, resulting in significant economic losses to farmers.
How does it spread?
The fatal Nipah virus usually spreads from animal to animal but in some rare cases, it also spreads from animal to humans.
Pigs and bats are usually the animals responsible for the spread of this infection in humans.
Symptoms
Symptoms range from asymptomatic infection, acute respiratory infection (mild, severe), and fatal encephalitis. Infected people initially develop influenza-like symptoms of fever, headache, myalgia, vomiting and sore throat. This can be followed by dizziness, drowsiness, altered consciousness, and neurological signs that indicate acute encephalitis.
Some people can also experience atypical pneumonia and severe respiratory problems, including acute respiratory distress. Encephalitis and seizures occur in severe cases, progressing to coma within 24 to 48 hours.
Precautions
Nipah virus infection can be prevented by avoiding exposure to sick pigs and bats in endemic areas and not drinking raw date palm sap and not consuming fruits that have fallen from trees.
Cure
The first treatment given to the patients who have tested positive for the virus is limited to Intensive Care Support for neurological and respiratory complications. Symptoms are treated individually as no vaccine has been developed. For example, someone who has breathing issues can be put on artificial ventilators.
When did Nipah first surface in India?
In India, the Nipah virus affected humans without any involvement of pigs. The first outbreak was observed in Siliguri, West Bengal in 2001. The second incident also emerged in Nadia district in West Bengal in 2007. Scientists have found that humans often contracted the disease by drinking raw date palm sap tapped directly from trees, a sweet treat that fruit bats also enjoy.
On May 19, 2018, Nipah virus (NiV) outbreak was reported in Kozhikode area of Malappuram district.
As per the state government figures, the Nipah virus had claimed 17 lives -- 14 in Kozhikode and three in neighbouring Malappuram in May last year.
The virus claimed over 300 lives across Malaysia, Singapore, Bangladesh and India between 1998 and 2008, according to WHO.
Also read: Kerala man tests positive for Nipah virus, state on alert
