Indian authorities are trying to control an outbreak of the deadly Nipah virus (NiV) in the Karnataka region that has already killed at least two people.

The alert was raised last Wednesday after the return of the virus was confirmed. It was therefore decided to close at least seven villages in Kozhikode district of southern Kerala state that have been declared as containment zones, the minister said. of Kerala Health Veena George during a parliamentary session, according to news channel NDTV.

Mobile units were planned to be installed in the area to strengthen the capacity of medical centers and epidemiological investigations.

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The state has also issued a series of recommendations to prevent contamination, as well as a prevention plan in case of symptoms of this virus, which has so far caused the deaths of at least two people, the state’s health minister told the press. country, Mansukh Mandaviya.

India detected its first outbreak of this virus in June 2018, when exactly 17 deaths were recorded in the affected districts of Kozhikode and Mallapuram, in Kerala.

This Friday, the Karnataka government will issue guidelines to the people asking them to avoid unnecessary travel to the affected area of ​​Kerala and intensify fever monitoring in neighboring areas. Moreover, beds will be ready in the district hospitals in case any suspected cases arise.

A 40-year-old man was arrested for publishing false news about deadly infections in that state, claiming that Nipah was created by pharmaceutical companies.

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Due to the appearance of cases, 20 additional doses of monoclonal antibodies were requested for the treatment and the mortality rate was determined to be between 40% and 70%.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this virus has a zoonotic origin and can spread between animals and humans. The reservoir consists of fruit bats.

“In infected people, it has diverse clinical manifestations, ranging from asymptomatic (subclinical) infection to acute respiratory infection and fatal encephalitis. Nipah virus can also cause serious illness in animals such as pigs, resulting in significant economic losses for livestock farmers,” the World Health Organization (WHO) explains.

He adds that the infection can be asymptomatic or cause acute respiratory illness. Initially, symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle aches, vomiting and sore throat appear; This will be followed by dizziness, drowsiness, altered consciousness and neurological symptoms suggestive of acute encephalitis. In some people, atypical pneumonia may occur, and in severe cases, encephalitis and seizures can lead to coma within 24 to 48 hours.

“The incubation period (interval between infection and the onset of symptoms) is believed to be between 4 and 14 days. However, incubation periods of up to 45 days have been recorded,” the WHO added.

One of the ways the virus is transmitted is through an infected person’s bodily fluids, such as saliva and blood. Some animals, such as bats and pigs, can also contract and transmit the virus through contact with food.

There is no preventive vaccine, so doctors can only provide symptomatic treatment. The WHO has placed Nipah on its list of priority diseases to be investigated due to its epidemic potential, along with Ebola or Zika. (JO)