Nipah Virus Alert in Kerala: Unnatural Fatalities Spark Concern

KOZHIKODE: In response to two suspicious fatalities linked to fever, the Kerala Health Department has sounded an alarm in the Kozhikode district. On Monday, the department issued a statement indicating that these deaths are possibly attributed to the Nipah Virus, with one victim's relatives currently hospitalized in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

A high-level meeting was promptly convened, and presided over by Kerala Health Minister Veena George. The Kozhikode and Malappuram districts experienced a Nipah outbreak in 2018, and in 2021, another case emerged in Kozhikode. South India's first Nipah virus outbreak was documented in Kozhikode on May 19, 2018.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the Nipah virus infection is zoonotic, originating from animals and sometimes transmitted via contaminated food or person-to-person contact. Infected individuals may exhibit a range of symptoms, from asymptomatic infection to acute respiratory illness and even fatal encephalitis.

Experts classify the Nipah virus as a paramyxovirus, closely related to the human parainfluenza virus, responsible for the common cold. Fruit bats, specifically the large and small flying foxes found across South and Southeast Asia, serve as the natural hosts of this virus. It's important to note that all recorded cases of Nipah virus infection have resulted from direct or indirect contact with infected bats.

Interestingly, in bats, the infection remains subclinical, often going unnoticed. The virus is excreted in urine, and through grooming and crowding, it can be transmitted within and between bat colonies. The primary mode of virus transmission to humans is via fruit or fruit juice contaminated by bat urine. Human infections have, thus far, seen limited spread, typically restricted to close contacts of the initial infected person, such as family members or hospital staff in cases where hospitalization is necessary.

It's crucial to highlight that widespread transmission of Nipah virus is rare. This is primarily because the virus's entry receptors are concentrated in the brain and central nervous tissues, making it difficult for the virus to infect other parts of the body. In most instances, Nipah infection results in acute encephalitis, often proving fatal, as the virus thrives in the tissues where it easily gains access to host cells.

The emergence of suspected Nipah virus cases in Kerala's Kozhikode district has triggered a health alert. Understanding the virus's origins and modes of transmission is crucial for effective containment measures. Public health authorities are closely monitoring the situation to prevent any potential outbreak.

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