Nipah virus latest | Kerala reports sixth case, govt rushes to curb spread

Kerala has registered the sixth case of the Nipah virus, a deadly virus for which there is no vaccine, and kills up to 75 per cent of those infected. The state is dealing with its fourth outbreak since 2018.

Kerala's Kozhikode district administration has introduced containment zones in nine panchayats, similar to those during the COVID-19 era. The authorities have been trying to identify high-risk contacts after the state reported two deaths from the brain-damaging virus.

Here's everything you need to know about the current status of the Nipah virus in India.

What is the Nipah Virus?

The Nipah virus (NiV) is a zoonotic virus which spreads mainly through fruit bats and can also spread through pigs and other animals. It can cause mild to severe symptoms, including respiratory distress, encephalitis and death. There's no medication or vaccine to treat the Nipah virus. However, the best way to avoid it is to prevent exposure to sick animals, especially pigs and bats. Nipah Virus breakouts occur almost every year in regions of Asia, primarily India and Bangladesh.

Latest Updates on Nipah Virus

Authorities have created two containment zones in a five-kilometre radius of the homes of the two men who died of the Nipah virus infection on August 30 and September 11.

ALSO READ |India's Aditya-L1 mission successfully undergoes fourth Earth-bound manoeuvre, says ISRO

The 11 samples Kerala sent to Pune's National Institute of Virology have tested negative, reassuring the state government, PTI reported. Currently, there are 15 samples undergoing tests for the Nipah virus.

Kerala has recruited a five-member team comprising experts from the National Centre for Disease Control, RML Hospital and NIMHANS. They will take stock of the Nipah virus situation and assist the state government in managing the infection.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has also delivered the monoclonal antibody at Kerala's request. The only way to treat the Nipah virus is the antiviral, whose efficacy remains clinically unproven. However, Kerala's Health Minister Veena George said the state discussed the antiviral's stability with a central expert committee.

The authorities sent a mobile BSL-3 (Biosafety Level-3) to ground zero to examine samples for the virus in the Kozhikode district.

The Kerala administration has decided to examine body-fluid samples of people on the 'high-risk' contact list linked to patient zero.

Meanwhile, the Rajasthan government has also asked medical officials to stay alert in the wake of the Nipah virus cases reported in Kerala.

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE