Infectious diseases have always been a problem, of course, but since the coronavirus pandemic first hit America in early 2020, public concern about viruses and disease has been in a high. Lately, there have been some talks about something called the Nipah virus.
What the hell is that? Are you going to close it all? Will we all die?
No, calm down. We are fine. The best way to arm ourselves against any kind of illness is to be knowledgeable, not to panic, and to be proactive in efforts not to contract it. Let’s find out what Nipah is all about.
What is the Nipah virus?
Seconds for the World Health Organization, the Nipah virus causes several clinical presentations. Someone who contracted it may have an asymptomatic infection or an acute respiratory infection and a deadly encephalitis. (We also had to look for “encephalitis”; it’s an inflammation of the brain).
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Typical symptoms include fever or headache for three days to two weeks. After that, some people have cough, sore throat and other breathing problems. Symptoms can progress to inflammation of brain cells, leading to drowsiness, confusion, and perhaps even a coma and death.
The mortality rate is estimated to be between 40% and 75%, but the rate varies depending on where an outbreak occurs and the preparation of a given locality in terms of epidemiological surveillance and clinical management. A zoonotic virus, it can be transmitted to humans from animals such as bats or pigs or even from contaminated food. It can also be transmitted from person to person, but is less contagious than coronavirus and appears to require contact with body fluids. Like the coronavirus, Nipah has an incubation period of four to 14 days from exposure to symptoms. That said, the WHO notes that “an incubation period of up to 45 days has been reported.”
According to the WHO, no treatment or vaccine is available for humans or animals. The main treatment for humans is supportive care.
So far it sounds pretty bad, we’ll admit it, but don’t panic. A mortality rate of 40% to 75% seems high, but remember it depends on where the epidemic is and the number of people who die depends on the number of people who even get it. Since its discovery in 1999, the virus is known to have killed just over 260 people.
Why does Nipah now appear in the news?
A 12-year-old boy in the Indian state of Kerala died of Nipah earlier this month and, seconds on CBS News, authorities are quick to contain the outbreak. So far, they have confirmed new infections while conducting rigorous contact tracing. They have identified, quarantined and tested people who may have come in contact with the boy and, as of last Monday, had identified 188, of whom 20 were considered high-risk primary contacts. So far, only two of these people have begun to show symptoms. The case marks the second time in three years that a Nipah virus outbreak has been reported in this state.
Since the virus was discovered in Malaysia in 1999, there have been multiple outbreaks. All of them have occurred in South and Southeast Asia. Between 1998 and 2018, the virus was responsible 643 cases and 380 deaths. COVID-19, on the other hand, has caused more than 200 millions cases and more than 4 million deathss in less than two years.
As mentioned, the disease can affect several animals. Nipah’s natural host is the fruit bat, however, so areas where humans live very close by are most at risk.
What does this mean for you?
The outbreak of a deadly virus halfway around the world is a tragedy, but you don’t have to be scared. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend prevent Nipah infection by washing your hands regularly, avoiding contact with sick pigs and bats, avoiding areas where bats could rest, avoiding consumption of raw date palm sap or fruit that may have been contaminated by bats, and avoiding contact with the blood or body fluids of anyone known to be infected with Nipah.
Please note that these guidelines are specifically for people “in areas where Nipah virus (NiV) outbreaks have occurred.” The CDC points directly to Bangladesh, Malaysia, India, and Singapore, and then mentions countries where fruit bats live — such as Cambodia, Indonesia, Madagascar, the Philippines, and Thailand — as possible locations that “may be in risk ”in the future. Take comfort in the number of countries that are not on either list, and then console yourself with the fact that you’re probably already washing your hands, moving away from bats, and avoiding other people’s body fluids.
It’s good to have knowledge and security, but for now you don’t have to worry too. Remember that your mental health is as important as your physical health and try not to be catastrophized by an outbreak of a virus that has killed a few hundred people in over 20 years and is likely to not even near where you live.
Stay up to date, check out the news, wear the mask in crowded spaces, and keep your hand sanitizer on deck. Anyway, you have enough to worry about in the middle of the Delta variant.