𝗡𝗘𝗪𝗦: "Rising Tensions: Nipah Virus Outbreak Raises Alarm" by Eloisa C. Reyes

 

Published by: Angel Pelleja

Date Published:  September 22, 2023

Time Published:  2:57 PM

Kerala, Southern India - The international healthcare community was alerted as the re-emergence of the Nipah virus, an infectious and fatal zoonotic disease, has been suspected to infect 950 people.

Several schools, banks and government offices were closed and the streets were almost empty, particularly in Corico and Kozhikode Districts [1].

As reports of cases through multiple areas, there are concerns about the possibility of another widespread disease that can affect the whole country of India.

Outbreaks had occurred in Southeast Asia, mainly in Bangladesh and India. Human-to-human transmission had been observed, especially in close communities.

The Nipah virus (NiV) was first discovered in Malaysia in 1999 during an outbreak affecting the animals and humans. Yet, this is not a new threat to society, the main cause of this virus are fruit bats, also called flying foxes. They can transfer it from contaminated fruits using their saliva and urine [2].

The primary symptoms of Niv experienced by individuals include headaches, vomiting, and fever. In severe cases, it can result in fatalities. Currently, there is no available vaccine for NiV, so being examined and isolation of infected cases are crucial to prevent further transmission of the disease [3].

This type of virus already raised concerns and it is crucial to adhere safety guidelines provided by the health authorities. Safety measures such as wearing face mask, frequent handwashing, maintaining social distancing, and avoiding infected organisms must be observe.

SOURCES:

[1] DZRH NEWS. (2023). "𝘕𝘐𝘗𝘈𝘏 𝘝𝘐𝘙𝘜𝘚 𝘖𝘜𝘛𝘉𝘙𝘌𝘈𝘒, 𝘕𝘈𝘐𝘛𝘈𝘓𝘈 𝘚𝘈 𝘒𝘌𝘙𝘈𝘓𝘈, 𝘚𝘖𝘜𝘛𝘏𝘌𝘙𝘕 𝘐𝘕𝘋𝘐𝘈"

https://www.facebook.com/100064713998224/posts/732624525571341/?app=fbl

[2] Welle, D. (2023). "Rare, deadly Nipah virus: What are the symptoms?"

https://news.abs-cbn.com/.../rare-deadly-nipah-virus-what...

[3] Kekatos, M. (2023). "What to know about the Nipah virus amid outbreak in India"

https://abcnews.go.com/.../nipah-virus-amid.../story...