Recently there is a Nipah virus outbreak in India especially in the southwestern part of India.
Nipah virus is a zoonotic virus (it is transmitted from animals to humans) and not only animals but also can be transmitted through contaminated food or directly between people.
In infected people, the virus has seen to causes a range of illnesses from asymptomatic
(subclinical) infection where the symptoms are hidden to acute respiratory illness and fatal encephalitis where the mortality rate is high. The virus has been also seen to cause severe diseases in animals such as pigs, so that resulting in significant economic losses for farmers.
Although the Nipah virus has seen to caused only a few known outbreaks in
Asia continent, but this outbreaks have seen to infect a wide range of animals and also caused severe disease
and the death of people, making it a public health concern.
Nipah viruse Structure
Although the Nipah virus has seen to caused only a few known outbreaks in
Asia continent, but this outbreaks have seen to infect a wide range of animals and also caused severe disease
and the death of people, making it a public health concern.
 |
| Nipah viruse Structure |
Signs and symptoms:
Human infections have been seen to range from asymptomatic infection (hidden symptoms) to acute respiratory infection (mild, severe), and fatal encephalitis.
When people are infected they initially develop symptoms including fever, headaches, myalgia (muscle pain), vomiting, and sore throat. This has been seen to be followed by symptoms such as dizziness, drowsiness, altered consciousness, and neurological signs that indicate acute encephalitis. Some people can also experience atypical pneumonia and severe respiratory problems, including acute respiratory distress. In severe cases, encephalitis and seizures are also seen to occur which progresses to coma within 24 to 48 hours.
The incubation period of this virus that is the interval from infection to the onset of symptoms is observed to range from 4 to 14 days. However, it can also become a period as long as 45 days have been reported.
Most of the people who survived the acute encephalitis attack make a full recovery, but also the long term neurologic conditions have been reported in survivors. Approximately
20% of patients are left with residual neurological consequences such as seizure disorder and personality changes.
A small number of people who have recover has seen to have subsequently relapsed or develop delayed onset encephalitis.
The case fatality rate is estimated at 40% to 75%. But this rate has seen to vary by outbreak depending on local capabilities
for epidemiological surveillance and clinical management in that area.
The incubation period of this virus that is the interval from infection to the onset of symptoms is observed to range from 4 to 14 days. However, it can also become a period as long as 45 days have been reported.
Most of the people who survived the acute encephalitis attack make a full recovery, but also the long term neurologic conditions have been reported in survivors. Approximately
20% of patients are left with residual neurological consequences such as seizure disorder and personality changes.
A small number of people who have recover has seen to have subsequently relapsed or develop delayed onset encephalitis.
The case fatality rate is estimated at 40% to 75%. But this rate has seen to vary by outbreak depending on local capabilities
for epidemiological surveillance and clinical management in that area.
IT IS NEWLY EMERGING ZOONOTIC DISEASE.
- NIPAH VIRUS ENCEPHALITIS IS AN RNA VIRUS.
- IT CAUSES SEVERE DISEASES IN BOTH ANIMALS AND HUMANS.
- NATURAL HOSTS=FRUIT BATS (NO SYMPTOMS).
- TRANSMISSION=PIGS.
HISTORY IN INDIAN SUBCONTINENT:
• 2001: The first outbreak in India was in 2001 in SILIGURI (WEST
BENGAL, INDIA) = where the number of affected people was 66 and 45 people were dead by these fatal diseases.
Affected=66/Deaths=45
•2011: In BANGLADESH the second outbreak was seen where 56 people were affected and 50 people were dead.
Affected-56/Deaths=50
•RECENT outbreak: On 22 MAY 2018 KERALA, from a well where people drew water.
Diagnosis
The initial signs and symptoms of the Nipah virus infection are nonspecific,
and the diseases are often not suspected at the time of symptom presentation which is a very dangerous thing. This has caused hindrance to accurate diagnosis and creates challenges in the outbreak for the detection, effective and timely infection control measures, and outbreak response activities.
In addition to this, the quality, quantity, type, timing of clinical sample
collection, and the time needed to transfer samples to the laboratory
can also affect the accuracy of laboratory results.
Nipah virus infection can be diagnosed with clinical history during
the acute and convalescent phases of the disease. The main tests used
are real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) from bodily
fluids and antibody detection via
enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
Other tests used to detect Nipah virus include polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay and
virus isolation by cell culture.
TRANSMISSION
 |
| Bats are main carriers |
- FROM FRUIT BATS TO ANIMALS THROUGH BITE.
- FROM ANIMALS TO ANIMALS THROUGH FLUID.
- FROM BATS TO HUMANS IF ONE TAKES FRIUT INFECTED BY BATS.
- FROM ANIMALS TO HUMANS THROUGH BODY FLUIDS.
- FROM HUMANS TO HUMANS THROUGH BODY FLUIDS.
PREVENTION
 |
| Fruits eaten by birds and bats |
1.DON’T EAT FRUITS
EATEN BY BATS AND BIRDS.
2. DON’T TAKE DATE PALM JUICE/SAP
(TODDI/TARI).
3.AVOID CONTACT FROM INFECTED PERSON
(NO VACCINE).
4. FOOD SHOULD BE PROPERLY
WASHED BEFORE
EATING.
5. CREATE AWARENESS SO THAT EVERYONE CAN
SAVE THEMSELVES.
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