Another virus has emerged in Kerala, which is choked with corona cases. A 12-year-old boy has died of the Nipah virus, state health minister Veena George said on Sunday. His samples were sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune, where experts confirmed that he was a Nipah virus. The Central Government was alerted to this development and sent experts from the National Center for Disease Control to Kerala. The team will assist the state government in preventing the spread of the virus.
Health Minister Veena George spoke to the media on the boy’s death. ‘The 12-year-old boy was hospitalized four days ago with a high fever. Samples of his saliva were sent to Pune on Friday. His condition worsened on Saturday night. He was pronounced dead at 5 a.m. Sunday. Since August 27, a total of 188 people have been identified as family members, friends, and hospital staff who have been in close contact with the boy. The quorum for all of them to be in isolation. Of these, 20 with high risk were placed in isolation at the Kozhikode Medical College.
Two of these health worker samples showed traces of the Nipah virus, ”she explained. We have set up a special ward for Nipah victims at Kozhikode Medical College. As a precaution, the area around the boy’s residence has been declared as a container zone within a radius of three kilometers, ‘the minister said. “I urge the Pune NIV authorities to make arrangements for Nipah virus tests here,” she explained. In 2018, for the first time in South India, 17 people died of the Nipah virus in Kozhikode, Kerala.
What is Nipah..!
It is a zoonotic virus. That is, it spreads from animals to humans. Its main habitat is bats. From them, it spreads to other animals and humans. Pigs, dogs, and horses, in particular, are at risk of contracting the virus. Humans are at risk of contracting a health condition and dying if infected. The World Health Organization has also revealed this.
What are the symptoms?
BrainFever
Acute whooping cough.
Difficulty in breathing
Influenza-like symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle aches, vomiting, sore throat, drowsiness.
In some cases, pneumonia arises
There is also the possibility of going into a coma for 24 to 48 hours.
The virus stays in the human body for 5 to 14 days. In some cases, it can last up to 45 days.
How to identify ?: A person with suspected symptoms can be identified with body fluids. For this, a real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test is performed. It can also be detected by ELISA, PCR, and virus isolation tests.
How is it spread in humans?
Nipah virus can be spread by contact with infected animals or humans. Nipah infected bats’ excretions contain traces of the virus. In areas where these bats live, there is a risk of contracting the virus by climbing trees for fruit or eating fruit that has fallen from the tree. The virus is also present in the bodies of those who die due to Nipah It is best to stay away from such corpses.
How to prevent it ?: Hands should be washed frequently with soap. Fruits should be eaten well washed. People infected with the virus should stay away.
Is there a cure ?: There is currently no specific treatment for Nipah virus victims? There are no approved vaccines or drugs. Experts have found that the ribavirin drug has some effect on the Nipah virus in the lab. However, can this drug be used on humans? Or not? Has not been confirmed.
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