India races to contain potential outbreak of Nipah virus

Authorities in the southern Indian state of Kerala are on high alert, trying to contain the spread of the Nipah virus after a 12-year-old boy died of it on September 5. The state is already experiencing a high number of coronavirus cases. 

Health authorities have been tracing people who came in contact with the boy, who died in the city of Kozhikode. Eight primary contacts have been tested negative. The state had previously seen an outbreak of the Nipah virus in 2018, in the same district. 

"Currently, 68 persons are under isolation at the [Kozhikode] Medical College and Hospital. Those who have tested negative will undergo three more days of institutional quarantine. Post that, they can return home if they can adhere to quarantine protocols there," Kerala Health Minister Veena George told The Indian Express. 

So far, 46 people who came in contact with the boy have tested negative.

"Central Government has rushed a team to Kerala to support the State in public health measures and provide technical support,"  Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Mansukh Mandaviya wrote on Twitter. 

The boy was initially diagnosed with encephalitis, also known as brain fever. Doctors sent his samples to the National Institute of Virology, which confirmed that it was the Nipah virus.  

The neighboring states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have also been on alert, screening people for Nipah-like symptoms. 

Why is the Nipah virus concerning?

The Nipah virus was first detected in Malaysia in the late 1990s. The virus can spread through fruit bats, pigs and human contact. Some research has shown that the virus can also reach humans via other animals such as cats and dogs. The mortality rate ranges from 40% to 75%.

Symptoms include high fever, convulsions and vomiting; there is no vaccine or cure for Nipah virus. The World Health Organization (WHO) says the primary treatment is supportive care. It does remain comparatively rare among humans, with fewer than 1,000 cases ever recorded.

An initial outbreak of the disease in the 1990s killed more than 100 people across Malaysia and Singapore. In an attempt to prevent infections spreading, roughly a million pigs were culled, Singapore prohibited Malaysian pork exports and several abattoirs closed.