Nipah virus: Kerala records fifth confirmed case in a 24-year-old healthcare worker

The Kerala state government has also stepped up efforts to save a nine-year-old boy suffering from the deadly infection by ordering the only antiviral treatment available.

The government has ordered monoclonal antibody from ICMR to treat the child. It is the only available antiviral treatment for Nipah virus infection, although it has not yet been clinically proven.

Kerala Health Minister Veena George also said the 9-year-old boy is on ventilator support at a hospital in Kozhikode and his condition remains critical.

Further, in its efforts to contain the spread of the deadly Nipah virus, the Kerala government on Wednesday ordered closure of all educational institutions in Kozhikode and other containment zones.

The virus strain observed in the state was the Bangladesh variant that spreads from human to human and has a high fatality rate although it is less contagious, the Kerala government had earlier said.

The Minister of State for Health said that the condition of all 76 people who fall into the high-risk contact category remains stable. She said 13 people with mild symptoms were now being monitored in hospital, and only the child was in intensive care.

Nipah virus: what is the deadly virus?

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines Nipah infection as a zoonotic disease transmitted from animals to humans, which can also be transmitted through contaminated food or directly from person to person.

The incubation period for the Nipah virus is 4 to 14 days.

Nipah virus: symptoms

Symptoms for Nipah virus include:

-Fever

-Headache

-Muscle strain

– Vomit

-A sore throat

-Dizziness

-Drowsiness

-Altered consciousness

-Neurological symptoms indicative of acute encephalitis

Nipah virus: is it fatal?

The alarm was raised in Kerala after two people died unnaturally. The relatives of one of the deceased have been admitted to intensive care, news agency PTI reported.

“Most people make a full recovery, although some may continue to have neurological disorders after acute encephalitis. Some cases of relapse have been reported,” the WHO says. The mortality rate is 40-75%. In severe cases, people also develop pneumonia and severe breathing problems. “Encephalitis and seizures occur in severe cases and progress to coma within 24 to 48 hours,” the WHO warns.

Updated: Sep 13, 2023 10:26 PM IST