A 14-year-old child from Malappuram, Kerala, passed away on Sunday following an infection with the Nipah virus. According to State Health Minister Veena George, the youngster went into a catastrophic cardiac arrest on Sunday around 10.50 am,and attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful. At 11.30 a.m., he died. The kid had the virus, according to the National Institute of Virology in Pune.
Nipah Virus: Spread and Nature
The Nipah virus (NiV) is classified as a zoonotic virus by the World Health Organization. This indicates that the virus can spread directly between individuals or through contaminated food from animals to humans. The virus is typically carried by fruit bats, and humans can get the infection by inadvertently ingesting infected fruits.
Initial Outbreaks
The majority of human infections at the time the initial epidemic was identified in Malaysia and Singapore were brought on by close contact with ill pigs or their infected tissues. “Transmission is thought to have occurred via unprotected exposure to secretions from the pigs or unprotected contact with the tissue of a sick animal,” the World Health Organization stated. Later, eating fruits or fruit items tainted with the urine or saliva of sick fruit bats was most likely the source of the epidemics in Bangladesh and India.
Signs and Symptoms of Nipah Virus
There have also been reports of the Nipah virus spreading from infected patients’ families and caregivers to other humans. According to the WHO, “Nipah virus spread directly from human-to-human through close contact with people’s secretions and excretions during the later outbreaks in Bangladesh and India.”
Acute respiratory infections, deadly encephalitis, and asymptomatic (subclinical) infections are among the ailments experienced by Nipah virus infections. It is a public health problem since it can lead to serious illness and even death in humans.
The World Health Organization states that the virus causes fever, headaches, myalgia (muscle pain), vomiting, and a sore throat in the early stages of infection. Dizziness, sleepiness, altered awareness, and neurological symptoms indicative of acute encephalitis may ensue.
Severity and Long-term Effects
Atypical pneumonia and serious respiratory issues, such as acute respiratory distress, can also strike some people. In extreme cases, encephalitis and convulsions develop, leading to a coma in 24 to 48 hours.
The incubation period, or the time between infection and the beginning of symptoms, is thought to last between four and fourteen days, according to the WHO. There have been reports of an incubation time of up to 45 days, though. The majority of acute encephalitis survivors recover completely, while some have experienced long-term neurologic issues.
About 20% of individuals experience ongoing neurological side effects such as personality changes and seizure disorders. A tiny percentage of those who recover later experience a recurrence or develop delayed-onset encephalitis, according to the WHO.
In the meantime, estimates of the case fatality rate range from 40% to 75%. According to the WHO, the rate might change based on the local capacity for clinical care and epidemiological surveillance at the time of an outbreak. Additionally, the virus has the potential to seriously harm animals, including pigs, which may cost farmers a great deal of money.
Nipah Virus: Identification and Difficulties
Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) from biological fluids and antibody detection using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) are the primary diagnostic techniques for Nipah virus infection. Additional assays include the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay and cell culture-based viral isolation.
The accuracy of laboratory findings can be impacted by the type, number, quality, and timeliness of clinical sample collection, as well as the time required to transmit samples to the laboratory.
Treatment for Nipah Virus
Nipah virus infection is not being targeted by any treatments or vaccines, despite Nipah being listed by the WHO as a priority illness for the WHO Research and Development Blueprint. The mainstay of treatment for acute encephalitis syndrome is syndromic management and supportive care.
Therefore, increasing people’s knowledge of the risk factors is the only way to prevent or minimize illness in the absence of a vaccine. It is important to inform people about the steps they may take to limit their exposure to the Nipah virus.
Nipah Virus: How to minimize human infection risk
Public health education communications should center on the following, according to the WHO:
1. Limiting the availability of date palm sap and other fresh food items to bats.
2. During the handling of sick animals or their tissues, as well as during the operations of slaughter and culling, gloves and other protective apparel should be used.
3. Those who are afflicted with the Nipah virus should not be physically touched closely without protection. They have to often wash their hands after tending to the sick or visiting those who are ill.
4. Healthcare personnel should always follow standard infection control procedures while caring for patients with suspected or confirmed infections or handling specimens from them.
Indian Government’s Warning to Kerala about the Nipah Virus
In order to find any other instances, the state administration has been urged to actively examine the neighborhood, the family of the confirmed case, and other places with comparable topography. To keep an eye out for symptoms and stop the virus from spreading further, the state should track down all contacts the detected patient had during the previous 12 days.
The alert states that contacts of the confirmed case should be placed under tight quarantine, and any suspected cases exhibiting symptoms should also be isolated to prevent the spread of the virus.
To guarantee early discovery and reaction, samples from possible contacts and suspects should be gathered and sent for laboratory testing.
A multi-member joint outbreak response team from the Union health ministry’s National “One Health Mission” would be sent to assist the state administration in handling the epidemic. This group will offer technical support, help uncover epidemiological connections, and investigate the case.
According to the ministry, at the state’s request, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) delivered monoclonal antibodies for patient care. In Kozhikode, a mobile Biosafety Level-3 (BSL-3) laboratory has also arrived to evaluate further samples from contacts. Nevertheless, the boy’s poor overall state prevented the administration of the monoclonal antibodies.
