Kerala state has again come under surveillance after a case of a 43-year-old infected patient in Kozhikode district has surfaced. As per the reports, the infected patient is a businessman from Feroke in the Kozhikode district who has tested positive for the zoonotic infection.
This Nipah virus case has once again raised public health alerts in the region. These outbreaks have remained largely localised in the past, but experts warn awareness and early detection are still key as Nipah is one of the deadliest viral infections in the world.
What is Nipah virus?
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Nipah virus is a zoonotic disease, which means it is transmitted from animals to humans. The natural carrier of the virus is considered fruit bats, or flying foxes. Infections of Nipah virus are easily transferable through eating fruits that have been contaminated by bats, or have been in contact with infected animals or coming in close contact with an infected person and his/her body fluids.
Nipah virus is different from seasonal viral infections as it can affect multiple organs at the same time. Virus symptoms can be detected like a common infection, including fever, headache, body aches, sore throat and fatigue.
However, in some patients the disease can even lead to respiratory illness and inflammation of the brain.
How to take precautions from Nipah virus?
Dr Sourabh Pahuja, Senior Consultant, Pulmonary Medicine and Critical Care, Amrita Hospital, Faridabad says that respiratory symptoms are one of the most important warning signs during Nipah outbreaks.
“Nipah virus can cause significant lung involvement in addition to neurological complications. Patients may develop a persistent cough, difficulty in breathing, acute respiratory distress and severe pneumonia-like illness.”
“If you develop fever with respiratory symptoms in an affected area, seek medical evaluation without delay,” advises Dr Pahuja.
One of the biggest worries about Nipah is its high fatality rate, which has ranged between 40 and 75 per cent in different outbreaks. As of now, there is no specific antiviral therapy or vaccine available for the disease.
Medical care is supportive and includes oxygen therapy, intensive care monitoring, management of respiratory failure and treatment of neurological complications.
Experts advise that the virus effect can be avoided by taking proper precautions, which include not eating fruits that may have been partially eaten by bats, wash all fruits thoroughly before eating them, avoiding contact with sick animals, washing their hands frequently and follow public health advisories issued by authorities.
“People should be alert, but not alarmed. Most outbreaks are controlled by prompt case identification, isolation, contact tracing and compliance with infection-control measures. “Simple precautions can significantly reduce the risk of transmission,” adds Dr Pahuja.
Health authorities are still continuing with surveillance in Kerala. But experts reveal that the best tools against the virus are informed behaviour of the public and prompt medical attention.
