At least two suspected cases of Nipah virus were identified during testing at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences lab in West Bengal last Monday.
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Following the news of the Nipah virus outbreak in the Indian state of West Bengal, the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division on Thursday directed all subordinate agencies to be on alert.
According to the World Health Organization, the mortality rate of this disease is 40-75 percent .
The department had called a meeting for consultation on Thursday afternoon . ‘The outbreak in West Bengal, India has made us alert . We have discussed the necessary parameters,’ said an official of the department, who did not want to be named, ‘We will instruct all agencies to adopt preventive measures and alert .’
At least two suspected cases of Nipah virus were identified during testing at the lab of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in West Bengal last Monday. The infected patients are said to be healthcare workers and are in a ‘very serious’ condition .
Doctors say that like the coronavirus, the Nipah virus is also a zoonotic virus . However, it is much more deadly than the coronavirus . In most cases, this disease can be transmitted to humans through infected animals. The disease can also be spread by eating infected animal meat.
But in some countries, including India, there has been an incident of human-to-human transmission of this disease. There is a risk of this virus being transmitted from bats to many people. Since bats are also found in Nepal, there is a risk of an epidemic of Nipah virus spreading.
Similarly, hundreds of people travel daily to Nepal's Koshi province through the border of West Bengal. Doctors have said that most of the symptoms of Nipah virus and Kodika are similar. However, the human condition deteriorates very quickly when infected with Nipah.
Nipah virus was first identified in 1999. People who came into contact with infected pigs in Malaysia and Singapore had respiratory problems and brain swelling.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the disease has been seen in about 300 people so far. Of these, 100 have died.
When the Nipah virus epidemic broke out in West Bengal, India in 2001, 66 people were infected. 45 people died. The epidemic recurred in 2007. All five infected people have died so far.
In 2018, this virus killed 17 people in Kerala. Experts have said that this problem should be taken seriously.
‘This virus is very deadly compared to other respiratory viruses,’ said Dr. Sher Bahadur Pun, head of the Clinical Research Unit at Shukraraj Tropical and Infectious Diseases Hospital, Kathmandu. ‘Its primary host is bats and pigs. Which are found in our country. It can also be transmitted from person to person. Doctors also said that bats can easily enter Nepal from India due to the similar environment and proximity. Similarly, there is a risk that infected people can also enter due to the open border.
There is no treatment for Nipah virus yet. Health workers treat it based on symptoms. The virus infects for 4 to 14 days. During this period, fever, headache, respiratory and neurological problems may appear.
