Following the outbreak of the Nipah virus in India, the health ministry is on alert for the disease which has a high mortality rate. The ministry has issued public notification and travel advisory measures. India’s southern state of Kerala is currently facing an outbreak of the rare but potentially serious Nipah virus which has caused two deaths so far.
As per the health ministry, Nipah is a bat-borne virus that can cause fever, headache, vomiting, sore throat and muscle pain.
Severe cases can involve seizures and encephalitis which is an inflammation of the brain and can even result in a coma.
According to the World Health Organisation, encephalitis has a mortality rate of 40 to 75 per cent.
The virus can be spread by fruit bats, pigs and through human-to-human contact.
“A very important basic thing is regular hand washing with soap and water, and using masks can prevent almost 90 per cent but we cannot assure that it is 100 per cent,” said Tashi Dawa, Programme Officer of the Department of Public Health.
He also added people have to take plenty of fluids and avoid bat roosting areas among others.
This is the fourth Nipah outbreak in Kerala since 2018.
According to media reports, the Nipah virus was first discovered in 1999 following an epidemic of the disease in pigs and people in Malaysia and Singapore. It resulted in nearly 300 human cases and more than 100 deaths.
Although no other known outbreaks of the virus have been reported in Malaysia and Singapore since 1999, cases have been recorded almost annually in some parts of Asia mainly Bangladesh and India.
Samten Dolkar
Edited by Yeshi Gyaltshen
