Kerala intensifies efforts to race source of Nipah virus

Hectic ts are on to trace the source pah infection in north Kerkozhikode which claimed ife of a 12-year-old boy on ay even as more samples of antined people were sent to ational Institute of Virology ) in Pune for tests. ree people, including the s mother, were shifted to h ward in Kozhikode mediollege hospitals after they ed symptoms of the infectwo of them are health ers. Twenty primary conand 158 secondary contacts e deceased were quaransoon after Nipah was coned. The boy’s route map was released. High alert has sounded in two neighbouristricts of Kannur and Malram. ate health minister Veena ge said on Monday that the ing week is crucial for the and expressed confidence the latest outbreak will be ised and contained like that 18. e have traced all contacts e boy and quarantined. The week is crucial for us. We to keep utmost vigil,” said minister, adding the health rtment will also look at e of the earlier deaths if they similar symptoms. ifferent teams are working nd out the source of infecif needed, more experts will eployed. Since the whole is following strict physical ncing and masking, chances gh transmission are low. But an’t lower our guard,” she examining domestic animals and pets in the area.

The area within 3km radius of the deceased’s house has been sealed. The NIV is planning to open a lab on the premises of the medical college hospital to facilitate speedy testing. The health department is also planning to start a mobile application to monitor the Nipah situation.

Kozhikode has reported Nipah infection for the second time in three years. In 2018, it claimed 17 lives in the district. Two persons also survived the infection.

An unknown virus with no medicine or history of treatment and little information about the carrier, health experts hit a blind alley in initial stages of outbreak in 2018.

But they fought back and contained its secondary infection and nursed back two Nipah-positive (Ajanya, a nursing student and Ubeesh, a male nurse) back to their life, though the deadly virus claimed 17 lives in a span of ten days. Lini, a young nurse who treated the initial patient, was among the dead.

The virus that causes high fever, headache and coma in extreme cases is spread by fruit bats.

Body fluids can cause humanto-human transmission of Nipah, which can have a mortality rate of up to 75%, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). There is no treatment or vaccine available for either people or animals.

According to WHO, Nipah virus was first identified during an outbreak in Malaysia in 1998. “Both animal-to-human and human-to-human transmission have been documented. From 1998 to 2015, more than 600 cases of Nipah virus human infections were reported.

Subsequent outbreaks in India and Bangladesh have occurred with high case fatality,” said a WHO document.

SPECIES THAT SPREAD INFECTION

Avoid fruits bitten by birds or animals

Scrub hands after being in close contact with the sick

Wear double masks and gloves while looking after the sick

Wear PPE kits if visiting hospital

No vaccine for animals or humans

The primary treatment for humans is supportive care