Nipah Virus

• 22 Jul 2024

Nipah virus has been confirmed in Kerala for the fifth time in six years. In the latest case, a 14 year old boy from the Pandikkad Panchayat in Malappuram has been confirmed with the bat-borne infection.

Key Points

Kerala first encountered the virus in May-June 2018 when 18 persons tested positive in Kozhikode and Malappuram districts. Only one of the infected survived in 2018. The zoonotic illness was reported in Kerala in 2019, 2021 and 2023 as well.

Nioah Virus (NiV)

• Nipah virus (NiV), a zoonotic virus is transmitted from animals to humans and can also be transmitted through contaminated food or directly between people.
• In infected people, it causes a range of illnesses from asymptomatic (subclinical) infection to acute respiratory illness and fatal encephalitis.
• The virus can also cause severe disease in animals such as pigs, resulting in significant economic losses for farmers.
• Nipah virus infection in humans causes a range of clinical presentations, from asymptomatic infection (subclinical) to acute respiratory infection and fatal encephalitis.
• The case fatality rate is estimated at 40% to 75%. This rate can vary by outbreak depending on local capabilities for epidemiological surveillance and clinical management.
• Fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family are the natural host of Nipah virus.
• There is no treatment or vaccine available for either people or animals. The primary treatment for humans is supportive care.