All you need to know about the deadly Nipah virus

Everybody who has received social media updates about the new Nipah virus is unsure as to what the virus can cause and if the virus actually exists in the first place. While there have been cases registered against the circulation of fake news through messenger applications, Nipah virus is indeed emerging and is creating alarming situations in the Indian continent.

The spread of the virus

The healthcare industry stands helpless as the death toll from Nipah continues to rise. This virus, when initially identified, was isolated from a victim in Malaysia. It was demonstrated to be transmitted from pigs to humans and was hence categorized as a zoonotic disease. It sickened around 300 people killing at least 100 of them. Since most of these were farmers who were in frequent contact with the mediator animal, the animals were mass euthanized.

But recent cases have been identified to spread through bats and not pigs. And bats have been proven as the natural source of the virus. However, it is also transmissible from human to human. The aforementioned case was from 1998 and the virus is actually named after its first victim, Kampung Sungai Nipah.

Ever since then, it is being intermittently observed in various global regions but, the outbreaks have been scattered.

Bangladesh was the next major prey in 2004. This was when the virus was noted to be spread through bats as well. The infected Bangladeshis were victimized by the consumption of date palm sap contaminated by fruit bats that belonged to the Pteropus genus. Currently, the southern state of India, Kerala, is on an all-time alert after having reported the death of 17 people due to the spread of this infection.

The concerned healthcare professionals have quarantined approximately 2379 people exposed to the virus and are taking precautions to confirm that no more lives are lost. It is a chaotic situation because people have started to refrain from hospital visits in the fear of acquiring the infection from the hospital setting itself. But greater possibilities are that many of them may have contracted the infection already. Another major hurdle is that the infection can be completely asymptomatic in the initial stages.

Do certain bodily signs raise alarms?

It isn’t necessary that when a person gets exposed to Nipah he will begin to feel sick. The person may only develop influenza-like symptoms of fever, cough, and headache. But, when the clinical manifestations come to notice, it is too late already.

The sufferers may develop severe respiratory tract conditions and may also succumb to neurological symptoms like seizures or even coma. All of this within 24-48 hours!

Unfortunately, the pharmaceutical industry has also been unable to predict the capabilities of the pathogen yet. When it will cause the next pandemic remains a mystery. It is possible that Nipah may spark a much larger fire in the future.

Protecting yourself from the virus

A healthcare market research indicates that there is extensive research being conducted to develop vaccinations and treatments for this deadly disease. Until then, it is essential for the humans at risk to protect themselves. The following tips may be useful as preventive measures

Avoid physical contact with the infected or people at high risk
 If you are in the zone under alert, wear masks that are NH95-grade or higher
 Maintain proper hygiene. 
Regularly wash your hands with soap
Avoid the consumption of unpasteurized beverages and partly eaten fruits
Reduce your time around animal enclosures if your occupation calls for it
Date palm/ toddy must be consumed with care. The date palm juice can be boiled before       consumption
 Regularly clean your household property and keep things well covered.