Ernakulam Kerala kojijhor
Can you tell me affected nos of patients in this area and which action taken to prevent it.
Dear Dr. Saroj Kumar Khan
Nipah virus is a member of the family Paramyxoviridae, genus Henipavirus. It is a zoonotic virus, meaning that it can spread between animal and human.
The animal host reservoir for Nipah virus is the fruit bat, also known as the flying fox. They sit on top of trees. They can urinate and contaminate the fruits, and when humans consume those contaminated fruits, they contract the virus. Infected fruit bats can spread the disease to humans or other animals, such as pigs. Humans can become infected if they are in close contact with an infected animal or its body fluids. Human to human transmission of the contagious Nipah virus occurs when a health individual comes in direct contact with the infected person's body secretions, such as urine, blood, and nasal or respiratory droplets.
Infection with Nipah virus is associated with encephalitis (swelling of the brain) and can cause mild to severe illness and even death.
As far as Kerala is concerned, so far, a total of six cases of Nipah infection have been reported to date since the latest outbreak, all of which are located in Kozhikode, a district in northern Kerala. Two individuals have lost their lives due to the virus, bringing the number of active cases down to four.
The action taken by the authorities include stringent measures, such as contact tracing, quarantine protocols, and public awareness campaigns. These have been implemented in Kozhikode to curb the outbreak's progression.
Also, while the incubation period of the Nipah virus including containment and quarantine is 21 days, the Kerala government has enforced a double incubation period of 42 days since the last positive case of the virus being reported.
Nipah virus infection can be prevented by avoiding exposure to sick pigs and bats in areas where the virus is present, and not drinking the raw date palm sap which can be contaminated by an infected bat.
Regards,
Malcolm Nobre
