India ’s southern state of Kerala is rushing to take a Nipah computer virus outbreak after a 12 - year - former son go bad from the disease over the preceding weekend .
The boy was taken to a private clinic in the city of Kozhikode with a filthy febrility and other symptoms on August 29,Indian mediareports . After being transfer to legion different hospitals across the city , he died on the morning of September 5.Samples taken from the patient later on confirmed the hospital ’s suspicions that he had been infect by Nipah computer virus .
Nipahis a bat - borne virus that can cause a kitchen range of symptom in homo ranging from symptomless contagion to acute respiratory contagion , seizures , comas , and deadly brain swelling . The virus spreads through verbatim contact with infected animals , such as bat or pig , as well as close contact with an septic someone or their body fluids . While outbreak be given to cause a relatively low number of infections , it has a high fatality pace with death occurring in 40 to 70 pct of those infected .
Health self-assurance arereportedlykeeping a skinny eye on 54 high - risk of infection contacts , include the boy ’s family and 30 health care worker who have been in cheeseparing propinquity with him . At least 11peopleare showing symptoms of Nipah virus . Worryingly , there are presently no commissioned treatment or vaccines useable for Nipah virus infections .
The disease was first identified in 1998 during an irruption in Malaysia that get 265 cases of acute cephalitis with 105 expiry . Malaysia has managed to avoid having any cases since 1999 , but further irruption havecontinued to occurin Bangladesh and India over the retiring 20 days .
“ This is the third time Nipah has been affected in the province . Earlier in 2018 and 2019 , the Nipah virus was confirmed , ” Kerala Health Services say in astatement .
Kerala Health Services also issue the world with advice on how to forestall further spread of the computer virus , such as practise good hygiene , avoiding unhinged farm brute , and stay out of bat habitats . functionary will also be raising awareness of the disease and carry out door - to - door surveillance to identify possible contacts of the infected . The Department of Animal Husbandry are await trial results from samples garner from two ill butt keep at the property of the boy ’s family .
This Nipah irruption comes while Kerala is being swamped with a surge of COVID-19 case . On Monday , the southern Indian state immortalize virtually 20,000 COVID-19 cases out of India ’s daily sum of 31,222 , accord to theAssociated Press .
In recent old age , there have beenmounting concernsthat a austere Nipah irruption could dispatch Asia , andhealth authoritieshave antecedently job that the virus has the potential to cause a spherical pandemic . Fortunately , the spot in Kerala is presently not of huge global business concern and , if former outbreaks are anything to go , it is possible to contain the disease . Nevertheless , it ’s clear that India is very keen to put out this fire before thing become more serious .
