THE NOT SO ‘ GREAT’ PANDEMICS

The National Centre for Disease Control has issued high alert across the country after an outbreak of the Nipah virus (NiV) infection in Kerala. Let’s glimpse into similar stories of deadly viruses that have taken a heavy toll on mankind.

1Last year in India, a message went viral in social media asking people to stop taking a Paracetamol that comes with written code P/ 500. It might contain a dangerous virus which causes Bolivian hemorrhagic fever that is spread by a mouse species indigenous to Bolivia. Identify.

2Scientists in 1957 isolated this virus from a sick monkey from Karnataka. Since then, between 400- 500 humans cases per year have been reported. It is transmitted by ticks. Rodents, shrews, and monkeys are common hosts for this after being bitten by an infected tick. Identify.

3It’s a contagion so deadly that we know nothing about it — except that it could be the next global epidemic, according to the World Health Organisation. It could be a serious international epidemic that could be caused by a pathogen currently unknown to cause human disease. What is it codenamed?

4Uganda has successfully controlled an outbreak of this disease and prevented its spread. It is named after a small town on the river Lahn but has nothing to do with the disease. It is a hemorrhagic fever virus and causes convulsions and bleeding of mucous membranes, skin and organs. Identify.

5This virus was discovered as part of a wider investigation by the US Army medical team to isolate mosquitoborne viruses from all over the world and has taken them by a surprise. It’s been named on the basis of the first collection location in Trinidad. Identify.