Kerala govt attempts to control spread of Nipah Virus: Here's what you need to know about Nipah
Kozhikode, Kerala, has been diagnosed with Nipah fever, adding to the mounting number of cases. This development comes just a day after four people were proven to be afflicted with the Nipah virus, two of whom tragically died.
With this recent case, the total count of Nipah patients receiving treatment in the district now stands at three. The other two individuals are the nine-year-old son and the 25-year-old brother-in-law of Mohammedali (47), the index case, who regrettably succumbed to the virus on August 30.
The health department has intensified its contact-tracing efforts, with a total of 789 individuals identified as potential contacts.
What is Nipah Virus?
Nipah virus (NiV) infection, classified as a zoonosis, can be transmitted from animals to humans. Belonging to the Paramyxoviridae family under the Henipavirus genus, its natural host is the fruit bat. The virus first surfaced in 1999 during an outbreak among pig farmers in Malaysia and Singapore, earning its name from Sungai Nipah, a Malaysian village where afflicted pig farmers experienced encephalitis.
To curb the outbreak, a million pigs were euthanized. Subsequent incidents in Bangladesh in 2004 saw humans getting infected after consuming date palm sap tainted by infected fruit bats. Importantly, human-to-human transmission has been recorded.
What are its signs & symptoms?
Human Nipah virus infection can appear in a variety of ways, ranging from asymptomatic instances to severe illnesses such as acute respiratory syndrome and deadly encephalitis, which involves brain inflammation.
