Deadly outbreak of Nipah Virus discovered in India

India has discovered a new deadly virus that threatens the world. The new strain of the Nipah Virus, which was discovered a few days ago in West Bengal, has already seen two cases to have been confirmed, and authorities in Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia have been prompted to step up their airport screenings in an effort to prevent the infection from spreading.

 

But what is the Nipah Virus? The virus is normally carried by fruitbats and animals like pigs, and can cause fever and brain inflammation, with a fatality rate between 40% to 75%. Transmission of this virus however, typically requires prolonged contact with an infected individual, and in humans, commonly is spread via infected bats or fruits contaminated by them.

 

The infections were confirmed in late December, however virologists had said that the risk to the general population remained low. Several vaccines are also in development as well.

 

The two people infected in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal in late December were health workers and both are under treatment at a local hospital, and their 196 contacts have been identified and traced, with none showing symptoms.

 

Nipah as a virus was first discovered over 25 years ago in Malaysia and Singapore, and the WHO classifies it as a priority pathogen because there are no licensed vaccines or treatments, its high fatality rate, and the fear that the virus could mutate and become more transmissible.

 

India itself regularly reports sporadic infections, with its state of Kerala being one the world’s highest risk regions for Nipah. However, the West Bengal cases are the state’s first in nearly two decades, with their last outbreak in 2007.