Symptoms of the deadly Nipah virus in India, which has seen several airports reinstate health screening protocols reminiscent of the COVID-19 pandemic, have been revealed.
Health officials across the globe are on high alert due to the virus’ significant fatality rate and the lack of available treatment.
The alarm was first raised in early January, after it was confirmed that five people in West Bengal, India, had contracted the illness.
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Speaking to The Telegraph about two of those who have been affected, Narayan Swaroop Nigam, the principal secretary of the Health and Family Welfare Department, said: « Two nurses at a private hospital are infected with Nipah virus, and one of them is in critical condition. »
The two nurses in question were on duty together at the hospital between December 28 and 30. Shortly after they both fell unwell and were admitted to intensive care on January 4.According to The Independent, around 100 people were being quarantined as of January 26.
With five cases now confirmed, Thailand, Nepal and Taiwan have all increased their precautionary measures at airports similar to steps that were enforced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This includes temperature checks, masking, and maintaining a safe distance to try and avoid the spread of the disease.
What are the symptoms of Nipah virus?
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), patients infected with the Nipah virus typically develop a sudden flu-like illness marked by fever, headache, muscle pain and fatigue.
In some cases, respiratory symptoms such as cough, shortness of breath or pneumonia can also occur.
The most serious complication of Nipah, and often what makes it so deadly, is a neurological complication called encephalitis, which is a swelling of the brain.
This can trigger numerous neurological symptoms including confusion, altered consciousness, seizures or even a coma.
The incubation period between infection and showing symptoms is usually around four to 21 days, but neurological symptoms typically appear several days to weeks after the initial onset of illness.What exactly is the Nipah virus?
The Nipah virus is a zoonotic virus, meaning it jumps from animals (specifically fruit bats and pigs) to humans.
It can also spread through contaminated food or direct person-to-person contact.
Unlike coronavirus, which had a global mortality rate of around 3.4%, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates the fatality rate of Nipah to sit at around 40% to 75% – making it an extremely dangerous infection to those that contract it.
Crucially, there are also currently no vaccines or specific drugs approved to treat the infection in humans or animals.
Airports in Asia are reportedly bringing in COVID-like measures after the outbreak of a deadly virus in India that has high fatality rates.
The disease in question is called Nipah virus, which the World Health Organzation (WHO) describes as ‘a zoonotic virus (it is transmitted from animals to humans) and can also be transmitted through contaminated food or directly between people’.
Nipah virus has a 40 to 75 percent fatality rate and there is currently no treatment available for either humans or animals. It has been making headlines of late after it was confirmed that five people in West Bengal, India, contracted the illness.
Speaking to The Telegraph about two of those who have been affected, Narayan Swaroop Nigam, the principal secretary of the health and family welfare department, said: « Two nurses at a private hospital are infected with Nipah virus, and one of them is in critical condition. »The two nurses in question were on duty together at the hospital between December 28 and 30. Shortly after they both fell unwell and were admitted to intensive care on January 4.
According to The Independent, 100 people were being quarantined as of January 26.
In light of the five confirmed cases, Thailand, Nepal, and Taiwan have stepped up their precautionary measures at airports similar to steps that were enforced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a press release, Thailand’s Department of Disease Control (TDDC) said that the measures were in place ‘to monitor and screen travelers at international communicable disease control checkpoints’.
It went on, per Fox News: « Measures have been taken to monitor travelers.
« [If] travelers [are found] with high fever or have symptoms compatible with Nipah virus infection, additional screening will be done at the international communicable disease control checkpoint. »
If a passenger arrives at the airport with a high temperature or symptoms that indicate a Nipah infection, then they are reportedly being transferred to quarantine facilities.
Human infections of Nipah virus range from asymptomatic infection to acute respiratory infection, and fatal encephalitis, says the WHO.
« Infected people initially develop symptoms including fever, headaches, myalgia (muscle pain), vomiting and sore throat, » it goes on the explain.
« This can be followed by dizziness, drowsiness, altered consciousness, and neurological signs that indicate acute encephalitis. Some people can also experience atypical pneumonia and severe respiratory problems, including acute respiratory distress.
« Encephalitis and seizures occur in severe cases, progressing to coma within 24 to 48 hours. »
China has taken steps to contain the Chikungunya virus, as thousands of people across more than 10 cities have come down with the virus.
If the Coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdowns taught us anything, it was to be vigilant against health situations getting quickly out of hand.
China, one of the nations most impacted by COVID-19, has taken multiple steps in order to stop the spread of a new virus.
Thankfully, unlike COVID-19, Chikungunya virus cannot be typically passed from person to person as it is a mosquito-borne virus.
Chikungunya virus is spread via the bite of an infected mosquito, and infections have previously been recorded across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
In China, people who have come down ill with the virus have been from one of the 13 cities in the Guangdong area and so far, there have been an estimated 7,000 cases.What are the symptoms of Chikungunya virus?
When it comes to the symptoms, the severity can vary but they can be debilitating.
According to the CDC, most people with the virus will develop some symptoms three to seven days after an infected mosquito bites them.
The most common symptoms are fever and joint pain, as well as a headache, muscle pain, joint swelling or rashes.
Some groups are more at risk than others, as the CDC noted that newborn babies and adults over the age of 65 are more at risk, as are those with health conditions, including high blood pressure, diabetes or heart disease.
Death from chikungunya is also rare, and patients tend to feel better within a week – however, joint pain can be severe and persist for months.China’s response to the virus outbreak
When it comes to stopping this virus from spreading, China has taken the advice of the World Health Organization.
The WHO advises that the best way to prevent the spread is to eliminate breeding grounds for mosquitoes – specifically pools of stagnant water. So, residents have been told to get rid of sources in their homes, including flowerpots, bottles and coffee machines.
If they fail to do so, they’ll be fined up to 10,000 yuan, or $1,400.
Large, genetically altered mosquitoes known as ‘elephant mosquitoes’ have also been released in hopes that these larger mosquitoes will eat the virus-carrying ones.
If this fails, then hopefully some of the 5,000 mosquito-eating fish introduced into lakes in Foshan will.
Sanitation workers have also been spotted spraying insecticide in an attempt to curb infection rates.
