Health officials in India are waving red flags and warnings against the Nipah Virus, a deadly and incurable virus labeled as zoonotic — meaning it affects both animals and people, People reports.
Two nurses working at private hospitals near Kolkata, West Bengal, were suspected of being infected after working together between Dec. 28 and Dec. 30. Days later, between Dec. 31 and Jan. 2, both healthcare professionals started to have high fevers and experienced respiratory distress.
After an initial investigation, health officials suggested both nurses caught the virus from a patient
who died before being tested for Nipah, who came in with severe respiratory symptoms. The nurses were both admitted Jan. 4 to the intensive care unit following worsening conditions, including one nurse being in a coma.“The most likely source of infection is a patient who had been admitted to the same hospital previously,” one senior health official serving in West Bengal’s Nipah surveillance efforts said.
“That individual is being treated as the suspected index case, and investigations are ongoing.”
However, there seems to be a little more to the story.
Data from the World Health Organization revealed
that the natural host of the Nipah virus is fruit bats and that it can be transmitted from pigs, contaminated foods, and direct human-to-human contact. Researchers have also collected blood and swab samples from bats at Kolkata’s Alipore Zoo to rule out infection.Narayan Swaroop Nigam, principal secretary of health and family welfare in West Bengal, has begun implementing quarantine and surveillance measures as the number of tested people has reached 180. Twenty high-risk contacts have been quarantined.
Since officials highlight preventative measures already put in place, they insist
there is “no reason for immediate panic.” “All of them are asymptomatic and tested negative. We will again test them before their 21-day quarantine ends,” Nigam said, according to USA Today.In a post on X, India’s Ministry of Health shared “do’s and don’ts” for preventing Nipah virus infection. Similar to the global COVID-19 pandemic, people should continue to wash their hands and wear protective clothing when around or handling animals.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released symptoms to be aware of as they typically appear four to 14
days after infection, such as fever, headache, cough, sore throat, and difficulty breathing. More serious symptoms include encephalitis, another word for brain swelling, which can ultimately cause drowsiness, seizures, or comas.RELATED CONTENT: ‘Minding Our Own Business—’ A Spotlight On Diaspora Enterprise and Culture: Lu Smith