Fruit bats can be seen hanging from tree branches during the day. Bats are thought to be among the carriers of Nipah virus, a zoonotic disease that spreads from animals to humans.
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Health authorities in the southern Indian state of Kerala are on high alert following the latest outbreak of the deadly Nipah virus.
it happened in 14 year old boy dies He contracted the virus over the weekend and authorities are scrambling to trace people who had come into contact with him.
Kerala Health Minister Veena George explain On Tuesday, a close relative of the teenager tested negative for the virus, local media reported. She added that precautionary measures such as wearing masks in public places cannot yet be lifted.
The state’s health minister previously said that 60 people have been identified as being at high risk of contracting the disease. All people deemed high risk are being tested for the virus.
Nipah virus was part of the inspiration for the fictional “MEV-1” virus in the 2011 Hollywood movie “Contagion.” after consideration One of the most dangerous pathogens circulating in the wild.
Nipah virus first discovered in Malaysia 25 years ago estimated The case fatality rate is as high as 75% Quote There is the potential for another pandemic. There is currently no vaccine to prevent the infection and no treatment to cure it.
Nipah virus is transmitted to humans through animals such as fruit bats or pigs. The virus is known to cause fatal brain-swelling fever in humans.
World Health Organization explain Human infections range from asymptomatic infections to acute respiratory infections.
Health workers wearing protective gear move a woman with symptoms of Nipah virus to the isolation ward of a government hospital in Kozhikode, in the southern Indian state of Kerala, on September 16, 2023.
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The latest outbreak of Nipah virus in Kerala appears to pose a “low risk” of further spread, Dr. Roderico H. O’Flynn, WHO representative in India, said on Tuesday.
“The Kerala government has conducted aggressive and extensive contact tracing. There are 60 people who had close contact with the 14-year-old who died and are therefore classified as high-risk contacts. They are all being treated,” O’Flynn said. Virus detection.
“Given the transmission dynamics of Nipah virus itself and current assessments and case numbers, the risk of further spread of this outbreak appears to be low.”
Nipah virus outbreak
Ofrin said the cause of the Nipah virus outbreak detected in Kerala was “multifactorial” but stressed that the southern Indian state had an “excellent” system in place to identify, test and register all suspected cases, allowing for immediate public action. Hygiene Measures.
Before the latest outbreak, the Kerala government reported four Nipah virus outbreaks in the region since 2018.
Health workers wearing protective gear move people who have come in contact with a person infected with the Nipah virus to an isolation center at a government hospital in Kochikode, Kerala, India, on September 14, 2023.
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A Reuters survey published last year showed report The massive tree loss and rapid urbanization in Kerala in recent decades have created ideal conditions for the emergence of Nipah virus.
independent Report Kerala was identified as having some of the world’s leading so-called “jump zones”, a term used to describe areas most conducive to bat-borne viruses infecting humans.
India’s National Center for Disease Control, which is responsible for the outbreak response, did not immediately provide an update when contacted by CNBC on Wednesday.
