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Nipah Virus

6th September, 2021

 

 

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Context

  • After a gap of over three years, a case of the zoonotic Nipah virus infection was reported in Kozhikode district of Kerala, with the death of a 12-year-old boy from Pazhoor, near Chathamangalam, at a private hospital.

 

Details

  • The virus is transmitted to people from animals and can also be passed on through contaminated food or directly from person-to-person.
  • Fruit bats are considered to be a natural reservoir of the virus.
  • 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.
  • There are currently no drugs or vaccines specific for Nipah virus infection although WHO has identified Nipah as a priority disease for the WHO Research and Development Blueprint.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/boy-dies-of-nipah-in-kozhikode-centre-ruushes-team-to-kerala/article36300262.ece