Nipah virus outbreak in India: is it a bat-man conflict?

Abstract

Nipah virus infection is a newly emerging zoonotic disease that spreads from animal to human. The fruit bats are the one of the carriers of Nipah virus which gets transmitted from bats to other animals mainly through body fluids. Nipah can cause asymptomatic infection to the acute respiratory syndrome and fatal encephalitis in human beings with a dreadful mortality rate of 70 per cent. This review article focused on role of bats in ecosystem and preventive measure to contain the virus by improving public health. In 2018 the outbreak of Nipah in Kerala state of India claimed 17 lives. It has indeed opened Pandora’s box exposing the role of general public, health department and social media and so on. The early detection and the well-oiled medical infrastructure in the state did wonders. Though social media have been accused of spreading misinformation leading to culling of bats, the people of Kerala responded with positive frame of mind. Prompt and synchronized efforts of all stakeholders like health workers, state government, scientists, researchers and central government led to timely and successful control of Nipah virus cases in Kerala.

Assess the Effectiveness of Self-Instruction Module on Knowledge Regarding Nipah Virus Infection and Its Prevention among General Population

“…No subsequent cases (in neither swine nor human) have been recorded in Malaysia or Singapore since this outbreak. 6 Study showed that the association of NiV to Hendra virus, bat species was quickly handpicked for investigation and flying foxes of the genus Pteropus were later identified as NiV reservoir. 7 In India NiV outburst reported in 2001 and 2007 in West Bengal with symptoms of acute respiratory distress associated with febrile illness and/or neurological manifestations causing 50 deaths out of 71 cases (70% mortality rate).…”

Addressing the recurrent Nipah Virus outbreaks: A call for vigilance, collaboration, and preparedness

“…The Nipah Virus (NiV), a zoonotic pathogen transmitted by fruit bats, has garnered global attention due to its devastating impact [ 1 ]. Originating from fruit bats of the genus Pteropus, this virus has unleashed its fourth outbreak in the Kozhikode region of Kerala, India, since 2018, resulting in six infections and two fatalities [ 2 ]. Human NiV infections range from asymptomatic cases to fatal encephalitis, often leading to a rapid onset of coma [ 1 ].…”