After outbreak in Kozhikode earlier this year, Kerala has once again detected presence of Nipah virus. Latest reports say that the ICMR has confirmed the presence of Nipah virus in bats in Wayanad district of Kerala. Kerala Health Minister Veena George has also confirmed the ICMR findings and said that the local administration of Wayanad is being trained in dealing with the possible Nipah infections in humans. Last month, Kozhikode had reported Nipah outbreak in which two people had died.
The neighbouring district of Wayanad had reported six Nipah cases in total. The state government said that the sample collection and virus presence in Wayanad should not be a cause of worry and panic. The health minister says that instead of panic, people should be sensitised and right awareness is the need of hour.
What is Nipah Virus? All you need to know
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Nipah Virus is a zoonotic disease as it spreads from animal to person. Fruit bats, also called flying foxes, are the animal reservoir for Nipah virus in nature. The Nipah virus is also known to cause illness in pigs and people. Nipah Virus is linked with encephalitis (swelling of the brain) and can cause mild to severe illness and even death. According to the CDC, outbreaks occur almost annually in parts of Asia, primarily Bangladesh and India. In 1999, Nipah Virus was discovered for the first time after an outbreak of disease in pigs and people in Malaysia and Singapore. According to CDC, this outbreak can lead to nearly 300 human cases and more than 100 deaths. The outbreak also led to a substantial economic impact as more than 1 million pigs were killed to help control the outbreak.
