Nipah patient stable, 311 people under observation: Kerala Health Minister

According to the World Health Organisation, the incubation period (interval from infection to the onset of symptoms) is believed to range from 4 to 14 days

The Kerala government Wednesday said the state of the understudy being treated at a private emergency clinic for Nipah infection is steady while the state of five others held under watch was improving.

A sum of 311 individuals from different locale are under perception, Health Minister K Shailaja said. “The state of the understudy is steady. It has not turned more awful,” she stated, multi day after the 23-year old understudy here was affirmed to be contaminated with Nipah infection. A therapeutic announcement issued by the medical clinic Tuesday night had said he was conceded on May 30 and “the patient is clinically steady, gradually improving and his fever is dying down.”

Conversing with journalists here, Shailaja said tests gathered from the five individuals presently being treated at the separation ward of Kalamassery Medical College Hospital have been sent to National Institute of Virology in Pune toward the beginning of today.

“The primer evaluation of their wellbeing demonstrates that they are not in an extreme condition. Their wellbeing currently is superior to yesterday. In any case, they are under steady watch of specialists. We expect trial of their blood tests would be negative. Yet, we should hold up till the last outcomes come,” Shailaja, who is continually checking the circumstance with medicinal specialists and top wellbeing authorities, said.

She said treatment for Nipah will begin just if their blood test affirm they have gotten the irresistible malady. The outcomes are normal by Thursday evening.”We ought to be exceptionally cautious till the consummation of the brooding time of the infection,” she said.At present, they were being treated for fever and sore throat, said the pastor. As indicated by the World Health Organization, the brooding time frame (interim from contamination to the beginning of manifestations) is accepted to extend from 4 to 14 days…

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23-yr old infected with Nipah virus in Kerala: All you should know

What is this ‘deadly Nipah virus’? Can it be contained? How does it spread? How is one infected by Nipah and what is the cure? – these are some of the points we’ve covered here

Just about a year after ‘Nipah’ (NiV) caused alarm in Kerala subsequent to guaranteeing more than 17 lives, the lethal infection is back in the state. On Tuesday, Kerala Health Minister K Shailaja affirmed that a 23-year-old school has been contaminated with the Nipah infection in Kochi. The aftereffects of blood tests of the understudy were tried at the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune. The legislature is setting up a rundown of individuals who were in contact with the tainted youth. The administration has so far rattled off in any event 86 individuals who he interacted with as of late. They have been held under perception and requested to answer to the closest therapeutic office in the event that they create flu like indications like fever, migraine, myalgia (muscle torment), spewing and sore throat.

This is the fourth flare-up revealed in India, with past ones having happened in 2001 (45 passings), 2007 (5 passings) and 2018 (17 passings). What is this ‘destructive Nipah infection’? Would it be able to be contained? How can it spread? How is one tainted by Nipah and what is the fix? – these are a portion of the focuses we’ve secured here.

What is Nipah virus (NiV)?

Nipah virus (NiV) infection is a zoonosis that can affect both humans and animals. Zoonosis refers to a disease that can be transmitted to humans from animals.

According to WHO, the host of Nipah virus is fruit bats of the Pteropodidae Family, Pteropus genus (fruit-eating species).

How does it spread?

Nipah virus can spread through direct contact with infected bats, pigs, or from other NiV-infected people.

Symptoms of the Nipah virus

Typically, human infection presents as an encephalitic syndrome marked by fever, headache, drowsiness, disorientation, mental confusion, coma, and potentially death.

How soon do Nipah symptoms appear?

Symptoms generally appear 5-14 days after exposure to Nipah virus.

Who all are at risk from Nipah virus?

People of all ages are at risk from Nipah virus in Asia.

How to prevent spread of Nipah virus?

This disease can be prevented by avoiding animals that are known to be infected. People in affected countries should also avoid eating or drinking date palm sap.

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Nipah virus scare: Fruit and vegetables from Kerala banned in Gulf

Region takes about a third of all Indian fruit shipment and quarter of vegetables sold abroad; consignments from other states could face ban, too, if virus not contained

With Kerala continuing to battle the infectious and deadly Nipah virus, all fruit and vegetables from the state have been banned in the majority of nations across the Arabian Gulf. The region is India's largest export market. Nipah has claimed 17 lives till now.

Last week, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain had ordered complete import restriction on fruit and vegetables from Kerala. Over this weekend, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait also announced officially that import in both categories would stop till further notice.

Since most countries in the region have similar and closely knit Customs rules, media reports from Oman suggest it might also follow.

The brain-damaging Nipah virus appeared in Kerala early last month. It is contagious and there is no vaccine for it. The natural host of the virus is a fruit bat of the Pteropodidae family, according to the World Health Organization. As a result, major importing nations are now wary of produce grown in Kerala and have also issued severe travel advisories against visiting the state. The timing is expected to hit the southern state hard, as fruit export generally swells in the hot month of Ramzan, currently on.

ALSO READ: Homoeopaths claim to have a cure for Nipah virus, urge govt to test it out

“Right now, it is difficult for Customs inspections at ports to find out whether any consignment is infected, since the foods do not show any physical signs. Other Indian states might come under the restriction if the virus spreads," said Ali Shaaban Balah, acting chief of the plant protection & quarantine section at the ministry of works, municipalities and urban planning in the government of Bahrain.

The Gulf region is India’s largest market for fruit and vegetables, with the UAE being the single biggest importing nation on both counts. Export to the nations in the Gulf cumulatively make about 35 per cent of all fruit shipment and nearly a quarter of all vegetable ones from India, according to data from the commerce ministry.

"There have been complaints from the industry whereby consignments have now started being turned away from Kuwait, Qatar and other nations but we are yet to receive formal communication from some of these countries," said a senior official here from the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority.

A prominent member of the bat species, the Greater Indian Fruit Bat inhabits large patches of the South Asian subcontinent. It is considered likely to transfer the disease to humans when they consume fruit on trees. Unfortunately for exporters, the bats are ‘generalist’ feeders, eating any fruit they can potentially find, according to a paper from the Research Centre for Biological Sciences in Madurai.

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Think Nipah has spread to your city? Here's its state-wise status update

The Indian Council for Medical Research has written to the Queensland government in Australia asking it to provide an antibody developed there



As concern over the Nipah virus outbreak increases with the infection claiming at least 16 lives in Kerala, state governments across the country are gearing up for any incidence of infection in their respective jurisdictions.

Over the past two weeks, in the wake of Nipah's spread, state governments in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Telangana, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan have issued health advisories to warn people of the dangers as well as the symptoms of the infection. In these advisories, the authorities have asked people to take necessary precautions to prevent the spread of Nipah.

Further, any cases of low-grade fever among people are advised to be reported to hospitals.

Meanwhile, the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) has written to the Queensland government in Australia, asking it to provide an antibody developed there to test if it can "neutralise" the virus in humans.

"We have asked them to give their monoclonal antibody for conducting a test in India to find out if it can neutralise the Nipah virus in humans. The antibody has only been tried in vitro (happening outside the body in artificial conditions, often in a test tube) and has been found to be effective. But it has not been tested on humans," said ICMR Director General, Dr Balram Bhargava, while clarifying that it will not lead to the creation of a vaccine.

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Nipah virus outbreak in India: Know about its symptoms, treatment

According to WHO, there is no vaccine currently available for either humans or animals

 

 

Kerala's Kozhikode is on high alert as a deadly virus called 'Nipah' (NiV) claimed six lives in the state. The fast-spreading virus Nipah reported has a mortality rate of 70 per cent. The central government on Monday sent a multi-disciplinary Central team from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to the district in the wake of deaths due to Nipah virus outbreak.

Kerala Government has assured that all arrangements are on place and there is no need to panic. It also sanctioned an emergency fund of Rs 2 million (Rs 20 lakh) to the Kozhikode Medical College to tackle the fever outbreak.

Here is all you need to know about the deadly Nipah virus:

What is Nipah virus?

Nipah virus (NiV) infection is a newly emerging zoonosis that causes severe disease in both humans and animals. Zoonosis means a disease that can be transmitted to humans from animals.

The natural host of the virus is fruit bats of the Pteropodidae Family, Pteropus genus (fruit-eating species), according to WHO.

How does it spread?

Transmission of Nipah virus takes place through direct contact with infected bats, pigs, or from other NiV-infected people.

What are the symptoms of Nipah virus infection?

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, infection with Nipah virus is associated with encephalitis (inflammation of the brain). An infected person shows symptoms of fever and headache within three-14 days of exposure and an incubation period of five to 14 days.

The clinical signs are fever, headache, dizziness and vomiting, followed by drowsiness, disorientation and mental confusion. More than 50 per cent of the patients faced a reduced level of consciousness and prominent brain-stem dysfunction. Some patients have a respiratory illness during the early part of their infections, and half of the patients showing severe neurological signs showed also pulmonary signs.

When was Nipah virus first identified?

Nipah virus was first identified in Kampung Sungai Nipah, Malaysia in 1998. The pigs were the intermediate hosts during that outbreak. Around 1.1 million pigs had to be killed to control the outbreak. However, it is not necessary to have an intermediate host during Nipah Virus outbreak.

When did Nipah Virus first occur in India?

In India, Nipah Virus affected the humans without any involvement of pigs. The first outbreak was observed in Siliguri, West Bengal in 2001. The second incident also emerged in Nadia district in West Bengal in 2007. Scientists have found that humans often contracted the disease by drinking raw date palm sap tapped directly from trees, a sweet treat that fruit bats also enjoy.

The virus claimed over 300 lives across Malaysia, Singapore, Bangladesh and India between 1998 and 2008, according to WHO.

ALSO READ: No need to panic, Kerala ready to tackle Nipah virus: Minister

Nipah virus infection around the world

Bangladesh recorded several Nipah outbreaks in humans almost every year from 2001 to 2013. The virus has been detected in Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia, Madagascar in Southern Africa and Ghana in West Africa on fruit bats or bats seropositive to NiV antibodies, according to a 2013 ICMR-sponsored research paper.

What are the treatments of Nipah virus?

According to WHO, there is no vaccine currently available for either humans or animals and NiV-infected patients are currently limited to supportive care. People have also been cautioned that they should not consume fruits that have fallen on to the ground.

ALSO READ: Nipah outbreak in Ker claims 3 lives; 8 under observation

Doctors' take on Nipah virus outbreak

Atul Gogia, senior consultant, Department of Medicine, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, said: "Nipah virus is just another viral infection that affects the respiratory and central nervous systems with symptoms like drowsiness. Like most other viral infections, Nipah, too, has no treatment and can only be managed through intensive supportive care."

The senior doctor said people living in areas inhabited by bats or wildlife animals should be alert as there can be other infections that can afflict them.

While he did not rule out the possibility of an infected person travelling to other parts of the country and spreading the disease, he said there is no threat to other parts of the country, including North India and Delhi.

Kerala Nipah crisis: Man who contained virus in 2001 sees no need to panic

To stop the spread, you may need to quarantine the area, says Dr NK Ganguly, former director, ICMR

When the first outbreak of Nipah (NiV) hit India in 2001 at Siliguri, NK Ganguly, the then director general, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Director General of Health (DGH) was there to oversee, supervise and understand what was happening on the ground. Dr Ganguly is a Microbiology specialising in tropical diseases. Currently, Dr Ganguly is the President of Apollo Hospitals Educational and Research Foundation (AHERF). He wrote the first paper in India on the Nipah virus.

Excerpts from an exclusive interview.

When and where did the first outbreak in India take place?

In India, the first outbreak happened in 2001 at Siliguri. The spread was very fast and people died. The dead were mostly nurses and caregivers. People who were in close proximity of the affected.

How was the infection/ virus identified?

Though the first reported outbreak happened in Malaysia in 1998, so the sequence of virus was available even though the strain in Siliguri was different.

We collected samples and cultured them and we found a vaccine strain that cannot infect further in case of Siliguri. So we started looking in-depth and found that it was the fruit bats which were responsible. If a fruit half eaten by fruit bat was eaten by a human, the saliva which the bat left behind caused the disease in human beings. It causes brain fever, respiratory disorder and the only option is to give symptomatic refilled. But you have to ensure that the caregiver is adequately protected because it is contagious.

A similar Nipah virus attack happened in Dhaka (2006). Once again the culprit was a bat although the sequence was different. It was contained quickly once the virus was identified.

What can be done to contain the fallout?

It spreads in an area where bats live, they live in high concentration and since they also spit and their excreta is around, so there is high concentration of the virus. It makes the population vulnerable. To stop the spread, you may need to quarantine the area. There are high frequency sound waves that only bats can identify, using those you need to disperse the bats. Even culling is not required.

Make sure that you isolate the patient and the caregivers take adequate precautions.

 

Nipah outbreak: 9 die in Kerala, no treatment available; all we know so far

Kerala govt has made all necessary arrangements to stem the spread of panic due to the virus infection whose first outbreak was in Malaysia and has claimed as many as 300 lives since

 

The deadly Nipah virus (NiV), which has so far killed nine people in Kerala, is reported to be fast-spreading. While the state government has made all necessary arrangements to stem the spread of panic and sanctioned an emergency fund of Rs 2 million (Rs 20 lakh) to the Kozhikode Medical College to tackle the fever outbreak, the Centre on Monday sent a multi-disciplinary National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) team.

In a series of tweets on Monday evening, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's office said the "government is closely monitoring the spread of the Nipah virus. Health department is doing everything possible to save the lives of the infected & prevent the advance of virus".

CM Vijayan further assured that the state's health minister and labour minister were camped at the affected district of Kozhikode to lead the relief efforts. Private hospitals had also been instructed to not deny treatment to anyone suffering from fever, Vijayan said.

CM Pinarayi Vijayan has informed that Government is closely monitoring the spread of the Nipah virus. Health department is doing everything possible to save the lives of the infected & prevent the advance of virus.

Vijayan also informed of a state-wise alert to remain vigilant in order to check the spread of the virus-borne disease. "Though the virus has been reported only in Kozhikode, a statewide alert has been given to remain vigilant. A 24-hour control room has been opened to monitor the situation. CM has also requested all to follow the instructions of the health department to tackle this crisis," Vijayan's office said in a tweet.

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