Dr. 'Folajimi Senjobi retweetledi
What is the Nipah virus?
Nipah virus is a rare but very deadly virus that can infect humans and animals.
It belongs to the Paramyxoviridae family, genus Henipavirus.
What makes Nipah dangerous is not how fast it spreads but how severe the disease is once infection happens.
Where did Nipah virus come from?
Nipah virus was first identified in 1998 to 99 in Malaysia during an outbreak among pig farmers.
The natural hosts of the virus are fruit bats, especially Pteropus bats (also called flying foxes).
Bats do not get sick, but they shed the virus in saliva, urine, and feces.
Humans are accidental hosts.
How does Nipah virus spread to humans?
Nipah virus is a zoonotic infection meaning it spreads from animals to humans.
Routes of transmission:
From bats to humans
Eating fruits contaminated with bat saliva or urine
Drinking raw date palm sap contaminated by bats
From animals to humans
Close contact with infected pigs or other animals
From human to human
Close contact with body fluids of an infected person
Airborne spread like COVID is not the main mode, but close contact makes transmission possible.
What happens after the virus enters the body?
After entering the body, Nipah virus:
Infects blood vessels
Spreads to the brain
Causes severe inflammation and swelling of the brain (encephalitis)
This is why many patients deteriorate suddenly.
Incubation period
Usually 5 to 14 days
Can be as long as 45 days in some cases
This long incubation makes outbreaks difficult to control.
Symptoms :
Early symptoms (nonspecific)
Fever
Headache
Muscle pain
Fatigue
Sore throat
These look like common viral illnesses, which is why early cases are often missed.
Later and severe symptoms
Drowsiness
Confusion
Altered behavior
Seizures
Loss of consciousness
Coma
Respiratory symptoms like cough and breathlessness may also occur and increase the risk of spread.
Why is Nipah virus so deadly?
The case fatality rate is very high, usually 40 to 75 percent, sometimes even higher.
Reasons:
Severe brain involvement
Rapid progression
No specific antiviral treatment
Late diagnosis due to nonspecific early symptoms
Diagnosis
Diagnosis requires high level laboratory facilities.
Tests include:
RT PCR to detect viral RNA
ELISA to detect antibodies
Virus isolation in specialized labs
Because the virus is extremely dangerous, testing is done in biosafety level 4 laboratories.
Treatment
There is no specific cure for Nipah virus.
Treatment is supportive, meaning:
Managing fever
Controlling seizures
Maintaining breathing and blood pressure
Intensive care support
Some antivirals like ribavirin and monoclonal antibodies have been tried, but no proven standard therapy exists yet.
Is there a vaccine for Nipah virus?
No approved vaccine for public use yet
Several vaccines are under research
Nipah is listed by WHO as a priority disease for vaccine development
Prevention is the most important step
Since treatment options are limited, prevention saves lives.
preventive measures:
Avoid eating fruits bitten by bats
Do not drink raw date palm sap
Wash and peel fruits properly
Use protective equipment when caring for sick patients
Strict infection control in hospitals
Rapid isolation of suspected cases
Nipah virus in India
India has reported outbreaks mainly in kerala but this time in west bengal.
Why Nipah virus causes fear among doctors?
Nipah virus combines three dangerous features:
High mortality
Human to human transmission
No definitive treatment
That combination makes even small outbreaks a serious public health emergency.
Govt of india Health advisory:
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