India: Stepping up efforts to prevent the spread of the Nipah virus.

SGGP 19/09/2023 06:27

Authorities in the southern Indian state of Kerala have stepped up surveillance measures to curb the spread of the dangerous Nipah virus.

Fruit bats are a source of Nipah virus transmission. Photo: INDIA POSTS ENGLISH

Health officials in Kerala are conducting on-site surveys in more than 22,000 homes in Kozhikode district, where the first cases of Nipah virus infection in this outbreak were detected. To date, Kerala has identified six cases of Nipah infection, four of which are currently under treatment and two have died. According to local officials, the number of people on the contact list of the Nipah patient in Kozhikode district has increased to 1,777.

According to the World Health Organization, the Nipah virus originates in animals and spreads to humans, causing severe illness in both animals and humans. The natural host of the Nipah virus is fruit bats belonging to the family Pteropodidae, genus Pteropus. Typically, symptoms in humans infected with the Nipah virus include fever, headache, drowsiness, disorientation, mental disturbances, and coma, which can be fatal.

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/an-do-tang-cuong-ngan-chan-virus-nipah-lay-lan-post706140.html