Varanasi Flyover, India collapses killing at least 18 people top stories direct to your inbox SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up to receive our rundown of the day'sdirect to your inbox When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they'll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time. The outbreak of deadly Nipah Virus began in the northern district of Kozhikode last month which has now spread to the neighbouring Malappuram district in Kerala. Most symptoms are either neurological and can result in high fever, severe headaches, or seizures. The virus can also affect people’s respiratory systems as they may suffer from a cough or have difficulty breathing. Professor Juliet Pulliam, director at South African DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis (SACEMA) at Stellenbosch University, warned the virus is more easily spread from people with respiratory symptoms. What is the incubation period of the nipah virus? The incubation period of the virus, which is the time between exposure and the first symptoms developing, is 21 days. If there are no symptoms after this period, there will be no infection. If a person does contract the virus, they will get a fever, headache, body aches, disorientation and mental confusion after four to 10 days. What is the incubation period of the Nipah virus? This can lead to a coma after a couple of days and some patients may even develop a cough and breathlessness. Professor Pulliam said: “Nipah virus can be transmitted from person to person, but this transmission is not very efficient. “When transmission does occur, it is usually to close contacts who have been exposed to the bodily fluids of a person who is sick. "People with Nipah virus are more likely to transmit the virus if they have respiratory symptoms, such as difficulty breathing.” Medical personnel wearing protective suits check patients at Medical College hospital in Kozhikode As Nipah is a viral infection, there is no medicine or vaccine to treat it and treatment is limited to supportive care. The mortality rate of an infected person is around 70 percent. Nipah Virus developed in Kampung Sungai Nipah, in Malaysia, after pig farmers first contracted the disease during an outbreak in 1998 and 1999. Almost 300 people became infected and more than 100 died. Animal Husbandry department and Forest officials inspect a well to to catch bats in Kozhikode<doc-sep>Kozhikode beach, which would be buzzing with people on weekends, wears a deserted look on Saturday after Nipah virus threat forced people to stay indoors KOZHIKODE: The original source of the Nipah virus infection that killed 16 people in Kozhikode and Malappuram districts continues to be elusive as the samples of the fruit-eating bats and rabbit collected from the surrounding areas of Soopikkada at Chengaroth panchayat in Perambra tested negative on Saturday. The samples comprising three fruit-eating bats,10 samples of urine and samples of urine, blood and nasal swab of rabbit reared at the home of Mohammed Sabith, who died of suspected NiV infection , were sent to the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases Laboratory in Bhopal on May 30. District animal husbandry officer A C Mohandas said that the sent samples were negative. “Further epidemiological studies willbecarriedoutcovering bats and other species to identify the original source,” he said. A team from Chennai-based National Institute of Epidemiology arrived in Kozhikode on Saturday to trace the origin of Nipah virus infection of the index case. On Saturday, eight samples were sent for testing and all the results turned negative. A total of 13 people with suspectedsymptomsof Nipah virusinfection were admitted to the Kozhikode Government Medical College Hospital on Saturday. With this, the total number of people admitted to the hospital with suspected symptoms reached 29. Meanwhile, health minister K K Shailaja said that the deathof URoja,hailing from Thillenkery in Kannur district, who was admitted to the Kozhikode Government Medical College Hospital, was not due to Nipah virus infection. Death registries under scrutiny The health department is scouring the death registry of local bodies in Kozhikode in the hope of getting clues on the source of Nipah infection. The officials are mainly looking for similar causes of death as in case of Sabith, who is being suspected as the index case. Sabith died on May 5. “Preliminary investigation into the details of deaths from municipality registers which happened around the same period when Sabith died has not given us anything substantial. Registries of nearby local bodies are also being checkedtofindoutif any caseof similar deathhashappened around the same period. Police have also been asked to track the travel history of Sabith,” said director of health services Dr R L Saritha. Meanwhile, the animal husbandry department is focusing on preventing the spread of disease from humans to animals. Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan will hold a video conference involving various officials to work out future strategy to prevent the outbreak of the disease at 3pm on Sunday.<doc-sep>FacebookTwitterPintrest has been on high alert due to mysterious deaths of eight people because of an unidentified viral attack. Out of these, three were reported to be caused by Nipah Virus (NiV). As per the National Institute of Virology, Pune,is the sole cause of these three deaths. Rajiv Sadanandan, Kerala’s health secretary, has assured that the government has started its preparation towards fewer deaths and that people should not panic. An unheard virus, NiV is yet to be understood by many. Here is what Nipah virus is all about!As per the World Health Organisation (WHO),is a newly emerging zoonosis that causes a severe disease in both animals and humans. This virus was first identified in Malaysia and Singapore in 1998. At that time, it was primarily caused in pigs and through them got transferred to humans. Nipah Virus infected as many as 265 people then, out of which 40 per cent were taken under intensive care due to the infection having spread severely. As quoted by the WHO, the natural host of the virus are fruit bats of the Pteropodidae Family, Pteropus genus.The virus can be transferred through infected bats, pigs or humans who have been infected. In 2004, humans who consumed the date palm sap infected by fruit bats, caught the virus as well. Humans who were infected by other humans were reported in Bangladesh and India.Experts say that Nipah Virus is an airborne transmission infection and can affect those who come in direct contact with contaminated bodies.Nipah Virus is usually associated with inflammation of the brain due to which severe days of fever can often lead to a state of confusion, disorientation and even persistent drowsiness. If not taken care of, these symptoms can even cause a coma in a span of 24-48 hours. There are many patients who show neurological, respiratory and pulmonary signs as well. Therefore, do not ignore any such signs.Some common signs and symptoms of NiV are headache, fever, nausea, dizziness, drowsiness and mental issues such as confusion. These symptoms can last up to 7-10 days. Watching out for respiratory illness during the early stages is also a must.The symptoms may take from four to 14 days to appear after a person gets infected. The early symptoms are not very clear and can easily be confused with that of viral fever and common cold. The virus can kill between 40 per cent to 100 per cent of those infected by it. And you will be surprised to know more than 60 per cent of this infection in humans comes from animals.As of now, there is no particular vaccine available purely for the treatment of Nipah Virus. The only way to treat this virus is through intensive supportive care.Since drinking raw date palm sap bitten by a bat can also cause NiV, it is safe to say that you should stay from consuming date palm for some time. Hospitals also need to raise awareness about symptoms and transmission to avoid human-to-human infections in such settings. Detection is another issue with NiV and anyone who feels the symptoms should get tested thoroughly from a recognized facility.Avoiding direct contact with infected pigs, bats and humans in endemic regions should be practiced. Health professionals attending to such patients should take precautionary measures, such as wearing masks and gloves. If you feel uneasiness when in and around an infected region, get yourself tested immediately!<doc-sep>
Ten people in the South Indian state of Kerala have died after being infected by the Nipah virus, an emerging disease thought to be spread by fruit bats and other animals. Here’s what you should know about the outbreak. What is the Nipah virus? The Nipah virus is a highly contagious and deadly virus that was first identified in 1999 when pig farmers in Malaysia and Singapore became very sick. During that outbreak, nearly 300 people were infected, and more than 100 people died. To stop the outbreak, authorities had to euthanize over one million pigs. Since then, the virus has been identified in outbreaks in Bangladesh and India. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that outbreaks of Nipah virus now occur in Bangladesh almost every year, and there have been several outbreaks in India prior to the current one. The death rate from the Nipah virus is estimated to be about 75%. The virus is spread to humans who have direct contact with animals that are infected, like fruit bats or pigs. It can also spread between people, often between family and caregivers of people who are infected. What is happening in the current outbreak? The outbreak is taking place in Kerala, a southern state in India. So far, 10 deaths have been reported, and there are currently at least nine other people who have tested positive for the virus and are quarantined. Multiple people who came into contact with the sick individuals are also under surveillance. Experts speculate that the ongoing outbreak was initially spread by bats. What are the symptoms of Nipah? When a person is infected with the Nipah virus, they experience encephalitis, or inflammation of the brain. It typically takes five to 14 days for symptoms of an infection to start to appear. These symptoms include fever and headaches that are followed by drowsiness and confusion. It’s then possible for the symptoms to progress to a coma. The CDC says long-term side effects among survivors can include convulsions and personality changes. How is the Nipah virus treated? There is no cure for the Nipah virus. Instead, people who are infected are treated with supportive care, which includes making sure the person stays hydrated, and treating any nausea or vomiting. People can take steps to prevent Nipah “by avoiding exposure to sick pigs and bats in endemic areas and not drinking raw date palm sap,” which can be contaminated by excretions from infected bats, the CDC says. Contact us at letters@time.com.