Nipah Virus 2023: On Monday, the Kozhikode Health Department issued a health alert. This comes after two ‘unnatural’ deaths in the district in a span of two weeks which were believed to be due to the Nipah virus.
Nipah virus is an emerging infectious disease that has disturbing capabilities and has a high fatality rate. It can cause serious diseases in both humans and animals. Let’s study through this article more about the Nipah virus, how it is transmitted, its symptoms, prevention and treatment.
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What is Nipah virus?
Nipah virus is an infectious disease and was originally discovered when it caused an outbreak of encephalitis among pig farmers in Malaysia and Singapore in 1998 and 1999 according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the virus is thought to naturally infect fruit bats, but it can also infect pigs and other domesticated animals such as dogs, cats, goats, etc. This infection can affect humans, and the virus can also spread from person to person. persons. It was first recorded in India in 2001, and in Bangladesh in 2004.
The organism that causes Nipah virus (NiV) encephalitis is RNA or a ribonucleic acid virus of the family Paramyxoviridae, genus Henipavirus, and is closely related to Hendra virus. Also, Pteropus bats (fruit-eating species, popularly known as flying foxes) are said to be the natural hosts of the virus.
Did you know that henipaviruses are bat-borne viruses that include Hendra virus (HeV) and Nipah virus (NiV). They cause severe and often fatal diseases in humans and animals. The Hendra virus causes infection in horses and then in humans, which was first recorded in Australia in 1994.
Nipah virus is listed in the Terrestrial Animal Health Code of the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and must be reported to the OIE (OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code).
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How is Nipah virus spread or transmitted?
Nipah virus is transmitted to humans through direct contact with infected bats, infected pigs, or other people infected with NiV. In Malaysia and Singapore, people become infected with the Nipah virus only through close contact with infected pigs that have come into contact with bats that have lost their habitats due to deforestation.
The disease is spread through fruit bats or flying foxes, which are the natural reservoir hosts of the Nipah and Hendra viruses. Did you know that the virus is present in bat urine, bat feces, saliva and birth fluids?
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Even transmission between farms can be caused by fomites or by carrying the virus on clothing, equipment, vehicle boots, etc.
In Bangladesh and India, this virus is transmitted from bats when they drink raw palm sap contaminated with bat excrement or climb trees coated with the same or through a person infected with the virus.
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Symptoms of Nipah virus infection
- Fever, headache, drowsiness, vomiting and fainting.
- Disorientation, mental confusion.
- Encephalitis or inflammation of the brain.
- It usually takes five to fourteen days for symptoms of infection to start appearing.
- An infected person or animal may become unconscious or go into a coma.
- According to CDS, long-term side effects among survivors can include seizures and personality changes.
- Death can occur as brain fever develops in the final stage.
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Prevention and treatment
The infection caused by Nipah virus is an emerging disease and so far there is no drug to treat the disease and no vaccine to prevent it. Therefore, we should take proper precautions to prevent the spread of the disease.
- Avoid eating raw fruit infested with bats. Eat well-cooked, clean food.
- Consumption of contaminated date palms, including toddy, should also be avoided.
- Avoid contact with pigs and pig handlers.
- Maintain personal hygiene and practice intensive hand washing.
- Medical officers treating patients infected with NiV should take appropriate precautions such as washing hands, using a gown or mask with a hood, wearing gloves, etc.
- Use an N95 mask while traveling or working in public places to avoid person-to-person transmission.
- If you feel discomfort while in and around the infected area, get tested immediately.
Nipah virus is a bat-borne virus that infects humans and other animals and is known to have a high fatality rate. There is currently no drug or vaccine to treat it. Avoiding infected animals or locations where the Nipah virus is known to spread, as well as using protective equipment and disinfecting surfaces are part of the prevention strategy.
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Source: vcmp.edu.vn