Nipah virus infection is a zoonotic illness that is transmitted to people from animals and can also be transmitted through contaminated food or directly from person-to-person.
Nipah virus (NiV) was first discovered in 1999 following an outbreak of disease in pigs and people in Malaysia & Singapore. This outbreak resulted in nearly 300 human cases and more than 100 deaths. More than 1 million pigs were killed to help control the outbreak.
There had been three Nipah virus outbreaks in Kerala, India earlier. The first outbreak occurred in 2001, the second in 2018, and the third in 2021. Curently Kerala reports 4 cases of Nipah virus, with 2 deaths.
The Nipah virus can spread from bats to humans through contact with their saliva, urine, or blood. It can also spread from person to person through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
The symptoms of Nipah virus infection are similar to those of other respiratory illnesses, such as influenza or dengue fever. They include fever, headache, cough, sore throat, and respiratory distress. In some cases, Nipah virus infection can also cause encephalitis, a serious brain infection.
Nipah virus is often transmitted through fruit bats. Avoid contact with them and do not consume fruits that may have been contaminated by bat saliva or urine.
IgM ELISA is typically the first-line NiV serological diagnostic test, followed by serum neutralisation or PCR as a confirmatory test.