KOCHI: The Nipah outbreak which struck the state in 2018 and 2019 has once again become a topic of discussion. This time, the discussion has been triggered at the international level through a study published in ‘The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS)’, a peer-reviewed multidisciplinary scientific journal. The study gains importance in the context that the route of spillover in the state remains unknown.
The study that mainly examined the outbreaks that occurred in South Asia stresses the need for understanding the mechanisms of underlying viral infection dynamics in bats and the extent of genetic diversity within the virus to prevent the spillover.
The officer said that though the need for developing strong mechanisms for working jointly with various stakeholders such as wildlife, poultry, animal husbandry and human health departments were highlighted, it is yet to be taken seriously by the government.