Alert in India: 14-year-old boy dies from Nipah virus and scientists warn of “epidemic potential”

2024-07-23 02:13:00

A 14-year-old boy died in Kerala, India, after contracting the Nipah virus, a pathogen that raised alarm bells within the scientific community due to its “epidemic potential.” It is a virus that is spread by bats and inflames the brain and has a mortality rate of up to 75%.

The young man suffered a heart attack after contracting the infection. Meanwhile, another 60 people in the same Indian state were classified as “high risk” after possibly coming into contact with the virus, which can cause a deadly fever that burns the brain.

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In this regard, the Health Minister of Kerala, Veena Georgereported on Saturday through a statement issued by the Government identify and classify the people involved. For your part, doctor Anoop Kumardirector of critical care medicine at Aster MIMS Hospital in Calicut, said that a positive case of Nipah has been diagnosed in a student and people who were close with him are being observed.

“There is little chance of Nipah virus outbreak at this stage”he explained, adding that the situation will be monitored for the next seven to ten days.

As scientists have said, Nipah is not as contagious as other viruses, but the risk of the emergence of a new, more harmful strain cannot be underestimated.

According to the statement, 214 people have registered who are with the young man. Among them, 60 are in the “high risk” category, meaning they are more likely to get seriously ill if they get the virus, compared to most.

In that line, Relatives of the affected patient were taken to a local hospital for observation.. Meanwhile, other people who may be at risk are asked to isolate themselves at home.

What is Nipah virus?

Nipah is a zoonotic virus, meaning that can be transmitted from animals (usually bats and pigs) to humans by direct contact with body fluids such as blood or saliva. People can also get the disease by eating contaminated food or through close contact with individuals who already have it, although these are rare modes of transmission.

The virus can quickly attack the respiratory and central nervous systems, as well It has a mortality rate of up to 75%.. Of those who survive, about 20% are left with long-term neurological conditions, including personality changes or seizure disorders.

That way, doctor Rebecca DutchThe head of the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry at the University of Kentucky and the world leader in the study of the virus, indicated in the discussion with Sun that: “The mortality rate of this virus is between 45 and 75%, depending on the outbreak, of course It is much higher than that of Covid-19“.

Risk of a new epidemic

According to experts, Nipah is one of the viruses that could be the cause of a new pandemic. In that sense, the World Health Organization (WHO) classifies it as an “important pathogen” with pandemic potential.

The virus is commonly found in Bangladesh, where outbreaks occur almost every year. In this regard, parts of Kerala are said to be at the highest risk in the world of running the virus. While Dutch said there are currently no Nipah outbreaks in the world, he noted that they occur periodically and it is “highly possible” that they will break out even further.

“Nipah is one of the viruses that could be the cause of a new pandemic. Many things about Nipah are very worrying. “Many other viruses in that family (like measles) spread well between people, so there is concern that a Nipah variant with greater transmission may emerge,” Dutch warned.

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For your part, doctor Jonathan EpsteinVice President of Science and Outreach at EcoHealth Alliance, explained to Sun that experts are concerned about the strength of the virus. “We know very little about the genetic diversity of Nipah-related viruses in bats, and that’s what we don’t want to happen. A strain appears that is more transferable between people“, he pointed out.

Meanwhile, the United States considers the virus to be a Category C terrorist threat, because “it can be designed for widespread spread in the future.” Now, There is no medicine or vaccine available to treat or prevent Nipah.

WHO considers Nipah to be among the ten most dangerous viruses that have the potential to generate a public health emergency.

In addition to this, a study published by Reuters last year saw that Kerala, which is a tropical state and witnessed rapid urbanization and loss of trees, stopped. “Perfect conditions for a virus like Nipah to emerge”.

Along these lines, experts explain that, due to the loss of habitat, animals live closer to humans and this helps the virus to pass from animals to humans. In that way, The state government recently announced that it is developing an action plan to prevent a Nipah outbreakand in 2023 they closed schools and offices after confirming five cases.

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