A health official in India is reportedly promising that an outbreak of the deadly Nipah virus (NiV) in the country’s southern state of Kerala is under control, despite more than 1,200 people being added to a list of close contacts.
Kerala Health Minister Veena George said on Monday that no new cases of the virus had been reported and 61 samples taken from high-risk contacts such as nurses had tested negative, The Hindustan Times reported.
So far there have been six confirmed cases of the virus, two of which have resulted in deaths.
“A very positive thing is that all four patients under treatment are now stable and in good condition [a] The 9-year-old boy, who was on ventilator support, is improving clinically,” George told the Press Trust of India. “He is now off ventilator support and on minimal oxygen support.”
INDIA’S STRUGGLE TO CONTAIN NIPAH VIRUS EVENT
Health workers wearing protective gear carry a man with Nipah virus symptoms to an isolation ward at a government hospital in Kozhikode in the southern Indian state of Kerala on Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023. (AFP via Getty Images)
A total of 1,233 people have been placed on a list of people infected with the virus, the Hindustan Times reported.
India Today also reported that restrictions in nine containment zones in Kerala state have been eased, but masks and social distancing are still required.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describes the Nipah virus as zoonotic – meaning it can be transmitted from animals to humans – and that fruit bats are its primary vectors in nature.
“Nipah virus is also known to cause disease in pigs and humans,” the CDC said, adding, “NiV infection is associated with encephalitis (swelling of the brain) and can cause mild to severe illness and even death.”
CANADA INVESTIGATING CLAIMS THAT INDIA WAS INVOLVED IN THE MURDER OF CHIK ACTIVIST ON CANADIAN SOIL
Staff members install a sign reading ‘Nipah Isolation Ward, Entry Strictly Prohibited’ at a hospital where a ward is being prepared for suspected Nipah virus patients in Kozhikode district of Kerala state, India last Tuesday. (Reuters)
The World Health Organization (WHO) said the mortality rate from Nipah virus is estimated at 40% to 75%, but that it may “vary from outbreak to outbreak depending on local capacity for epidemiological surveillance and clinical management”.
“Infected individuals initially develop symptoms such as fever, headaches, myalgia (muscle pain), vomiting and sore throat,” the WHO also said. “This may be followed by dizziness, drowsiness, altered consciousness, and neurological signs suggestive of acute encephalitis. Some people may also develop atypical pneumonia and severe respiratory problems, including acute respiratory distress. Encephalitis and seizures occur in severe cases, progress to coma within 24 to 48 hours.”
The CDC said the virus is spread through direct contact with infected animals or humans and their bodily fluids, or by eating food contaminated by animals.
“Treatment is limited to supportive care, including rest, hydration, and treatment of symptoms as they occur,” according to the CDC.
Residents put up a sign that says ‘Nipah Restriction Zone’ to prevent the spread of the Nipah virus in the state of Kerala, India. (Reuters)
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A series of NiV outbreaks in India and Bangladesh killed 62 people in 2001 and 21 people in the Indian state of Kerala in 2018, Reuters reports.
