Nipah Virus in Kerala: Symptoms, Risks, Causes, and Central Government Advisory After 14-Year-Old’s Death

A 14-year-old boy died in Kerala after contracting Nipah virus injection

Nipah Virus in Kerala: On Sunday, a 14-year-old boy died in Kerala after contracting Nipah virus injection. State Health Minister Veena George said on Sunday that the boy who died, suffered from a massive cardiac arrest at 10:50 a.m., and the efforts to revive him failed.

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"Approximately 20 percent of patients are left with residual neurological consequences such as seizure disorder and personality changes. A small number of people who recover subsequently relapse or develop delayed onset encephalitis," the WHO said.

Malaysia and Singapore when the first outbreak was recognised in these two countries mostly infected humans are resulted in direct contract with sick pigs or their contaminated 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 WHO said.

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Consumption of fruits or fruit products contaminated with the urine or saliva of the fruit bats caused the outbreak in Bangladesh and India.

The WHO explained, “During the later outbreaks in Bangladesh and India, Nipah virus spread directly from human-to-human through close contact with people's secretions and excretions."

Indian govt's advisory to Kerala

• On Sunday, the central government asked to control the spread of the Nipah virus Kerela government should implement four immediate public health measures to control the spread of the Nipah virus.
• The union government has advised the state to implement public health measures, and active contact tracing (for any contacts) during the past 12 days.
• The contacts should be in Strict quarantine in the case and isolation of any suspects.
• Collect and transport the samples for lab testing.

Symptoms

People who are infected with the virus suffer from fever, headaches, and muscle pain, with an incubation period ranging from 5 to 14 days post-exposure.

As per the WHO, those infected with the virus initially develop symptoms such as fever, headaches, myalgia (muscle pain), vomiting and sore throat which can also followed by dizziness, drowsiness, altered consciousness, and neurological signs that indicate acute encephalitis.

In severe cases, the virus can lead to coma or death, with a mortality rate depending on the outbreak which is from 40% to 75%.

Causes

The virus could be transmitted through fruit bats to humans contracting with infected bats, and their saliva. through respiratory droplets and bodily fluids can transmit the infection from human to human.

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