Deadly Nipah virus cases emerge in India: Airport screenings reintroduced across Asia

January 28 ------ Kerala and West Bengal are endemic to the Nipah virus, a highly infectious disease with a 40-75% mortality rate, Dr Narendra Kumar Arora, President of AIIMS Bilaspur, has warned. The current outbreak in West Bengal originated from a person with an unknown disease, infecting five health workers, with 100-200 people under investigation. The outbreak has prompted Asia's airports to reintroduce COVID-style health checks.

Kerala and West Bengal are endemic to the virus, Dr Narendra Kumar Arora told ANI. The virus has a high mortality rate (40-75%) and is highly infectious, causing encephalitis or severe respiratory disease, said Dr Arora, who is also the Chairman of India's COVID-19 Working Group at the National Technical Advisory Group.

"Nipah virus is a zoonotic disease... These sporadic outbreaks have occurred in both Kerala and West Bengal. But even Bangladesh is endemic for the Nipah virus... The current outbreak was first reported among five health workers in West Bengal after a person died of an unknown disease, and later on, these five health professionals were involved. An ongoing investigation is now underway into another 100 to 200 people who have been exposed," he said.

No Vaccine Available

He added that there's currently no vaccine for Nipah. Treatment relies on monoclonal antibodies, which are in short global supply. "Monoclonal antibodies are to be given as soon as someone is diagnosed with Nipah virus infection. There is a very limited supply of these monoclonal antibodies globally, and India has taken this up as a very important initiative to ensure they are available within the country. I hope that, very soon, we will have a sufficient quantity of monoclonal antibodies in India," he said.

Airports across Asia reintroduce COVID-style health checks

Following an outbreak of the Nipah virus in the country, airports across Asia have started tightening health surveillance and travel screening. According to a report in The Independent, Thailand, Nepal, and Taiwan are among those taking precautions, with thermal screenings and health checks in place for passengers arriving from affected areas.

Nipah virus outbreak sparks worry in China

The outbreak of the highly fatal virus in India has sparked widespread attention and public concern in China ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday.

According to a report by the South China Morning Post, China’s Centre for Disease Control and Prevention urged ‘heightened vigilance’ against the possibility of imported infectious diseases, which could be introduced by tourists returning from overseas during the festival season. However, the report does not mention Nipah.

COVID-19 oral nucleoside drug shows antiviral activity against Nipah virus

Chinese scientists have made a breakthrough in the fight against the Nipah virus. Researchers from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, and Vigonvita Life Science Co found that VV116, an oral nucleoside drug approved for COVID-19 treatment, shows significant antiviral activity against the Nipah virus. The research paper titled “The oral nucleoside drug VV116 is a promising candidate for treating Nipah virus infection” was recently published in Emerging Microbes & Infections.

Nipah virus infection

Nipah virus infection is a zoonotic disease that spreads from animals to humans, and can also be transmitted through contaminated food or direct person-to-person contact.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it causes a range of illnesses, from asymptomatic infection to acute respiratory illness and fatal encephalitis. The virus can also severely affect animals like pigs, leading to significant economic losses for farmers. Nipah virus transmission has also been recorded amongst family members and caregivers of affected patients. The WHO has identified the Nipah virus as a priority disease for the WHO R&D Blueprint.

Initial symptoms of Nipah virus may include:

Fever.

Headache.

Breathing difficulties.

Cough and sore throat.

Diarrhea.

Vomiting.

Muscle pain and severe weakness.

The incubation period for Nipah virus infection typically ranges from 4 to 14 days, but in some cases, it can be as long as 45 days. While most people recover fully, some may experience residual neurological conditions after acute encephalitis, and relapse cases have been reported. The case fatality rate is estimated to be between 40-75%, varying depending on outbreak surveillance and clinical management.

Source: cnbctv18.com