Main challenge for Kerala government: Stopping Nipah virus from going viral

Nipah expert Govindakarnavar Arunkumar says state government should take all steps to prevent human to human transmission of the deadly virus
The staff inside the isolation room/ area of Ernakulam Medical College set up following the second outbreak of Nipah. | (Albin Mathew | EPS)
The staff inside the isolation room/ area of Ernakulam Medical College set up following the second outbreak of Nipah. | (Albin Mathew | EPS)

KOCHI: Even as the government takes earnest efforts to contain Nipah, its biggest challenge will be to stop spread of the virus from human to human and prevent it from becoming an epidemic. 

Nipah expert and head of Karnataka’s Manipal Centre for Virus Research (MCVR) Govindakarnavar Arunkumar said the state government should ensure virus from infected patients admitted to hospitals does not get transferred to any other person in the hospital.

Arunkumar was the first to identify the particular strain of Nipah virus after it broke out in Kozhikode in May last year.

According to him, Kerala should be highly cautious as the Nipah virus detected in the state is not from outside but from fruit bats in Kerala.

Shedding of the virus from bats occur mainly during April-May, the breeding season of bats.

“When we analysed the samples from bats and humans following outbreak of the virus in Kozhikode, we found it was not the same strain of virus detected in Bangladesh. Viruses are similar but not the same. Though the virus we identified had Bangladesh lineage, it specifically had a Kerala strain, proving it was not brought from Bangladesh,” he said.

“In Kozhikode, it was very clear the disease broke out after primary exposure to Nipah from bats. Except for a case of primary transmission of the virus from bat to human, all other transmissions of the virus in Kozhikode took place from human to human,” Arunkumar said.

“During the time of breeding, bats will be metabolically active and their body temperature encourages the virus to multiply. In each place, the scenario for spread of virus from bats to humans is different. In Kerala, primary transmission to humans could have taken place from bats. People could have directly handled live or dead bats or even bat pups. If the transmission has taken place from fruits bitten by bats, then there should have been multiple case of infections within the community,” Arunkumar said.

“It’s really hard to identify the exact source of virus and eradicate it,’’ he said.

The capacity to detect different viruses has gone up in recent times, Arunkumar said.

“The virus could have been in Kerala for several decades. The reason for many mysterious fever deaths earlier in the state is not still known. Nipah could have been the cause. We now have the facilities to do tests and identify the strain,” he said.

What is Nipah virus?

Nipah virus infection is a Zoonosis transferred when one comes in contact with an NiV-infected animal or person. The virus can infect humans if they consume fruits eaten by infected bats and birds. It can also be transmitted through contact with other NiV infected person/s.

Symptoms of the virus:

  • Headache

  • Fever

  • Dizziness

  • Vomiting

  • Sore throat

  • Muscle ache

(With online desk inputs)

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