Health authorities worldwide are on edge amid growing fears of a contagious outbreak of the deadly Nipah virus after five people contracted the illness in West Bengal, India.
Narayan Swaroop Nigam, the principal secretary of the Health and Family Welfare Department spoke to The Telegraph about two of those who have been affected, saying, “Two nurses at a private hospital are infected with Nipah virus, and one of them is in critical condition.”
The two nurses started feeling unwell and were admitted to intensive care on January 4 shortly after working together at the hospital between December 28 and 30.
As of January 26, around 100 people have been quarantined in order to try to prevent the spreading of the bat-borne virus, with Thailand, Nepal and Taiwan putting strict health checks in place at airports.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) classifies the Nipah virus as a priority pathogen due to its potential to trigger an epidemic.
Also, WHO states that the virus’ potential for widespread transmission and its fatality rate range from 40% to 75%, adding that “This rate can vary by outbreak depending on local capabilities for epidemiological surveillance and clinical management.”
The Nipah virus infection often begins with flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle aches, vomiting, and sore throat, and in some cases can progress to respiratory issues including cough, shortness of breath, or pneumonia, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Its most severe and often fatal complication is encephalitis, a swelling of the brain that can cause confusion, seizures, altered consciousness, rapid deterioration, and even coma.
The virus is zoonotic, meaning it can spread from animals, particularly fruit bats and pigs, to humans, as well as through contaminated food or direct person-to-person contact.
Unlike Covid-19, which had a global mortality rate of around 3.4%, Nipah’s significantly higher fatality rate makes it far more dangerous, and there is currently no vaccine or approved treatment. Symptoms typically appear within four to 21 days, though in rare cases the incubation period can extend much longer.
Speaking to the Cosmopolitan, Dr. Suzanne Wylie explained: “Nipah outbreaks have historically been geographically restricted to parts of Asia, and there is no evidence of sustained transmission outside these areas.”
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