The death of a 24-year-old student in Malappuram, Kerala, has raised alarm over the deadly Nipah virus. Kerala Health Minister Veena George announced on Sunday that tests conducted at the National Institute of Virology in Pune confirmed the presence of the Nipah virus in the deceased.

The health minister informed the media that a total of 151 people are currently on the primary contact list. Their information has been gathered, and those who had direct contact have been placed in isolation. Five individuals in isolation exhibited mild symptoms, and their samples have been sent for testing.

Nipah was first detected in Malaysia in 1999, though no further outbreaks have been reported there since. Two years later, the virus was identified in Bangladesh and India. India’s first case of Nipah virus occurred in Siliguri, West Bengal, in 2001. In Kerala, where two cases have been reported this year, previous outbreaks occurred in Kozhikode district in 2018, 2021, and 2023, and in Ernakulam district in 2019.

How does it spread?

The Nipah outbreak in Kerala is cause for significant concern due to the severity of the disease, which has a fatality rate of up to 75%. Fruit bats are the natural carriers of the virus, and it can be transmitted to humans through contamination from animals like pigs and bats. Additionally, the virus can spread from human to human.

Nipah virus can be transmitted through direct contact with infected animals, such as bats or pigs, or their body fluids (like blood, urine, or saliva). It can also spread by consuming food products contaminated by body fluids from infected animals, such as palm sap or fruit tainted by an infected bat. Additionally, close contact with an infected person or their bodily fluids, including nasal or respiratory droplets, urine, or blood, can lead to transmission.

Symptoms and complications associated with Nipah virus infection

Nipah infection presents with common symptoms such as headache, fever, vomiting, sore throat, dizziness, drowsiness, altered consciousness, and acute encephalitis. Symptoms typically appear 4 to 14 days after exposure. The virus has a significant impact on neurological health, with approximately 20% of infected individuals experiencing lasting neurological effects, including seizure disorders and personality changes.

According to information from the Kerala health department, Nipah virus infection symptoms can vary from mild to severe, with a fatality rate of 40% to 70% in documented outbreaks between 1998 and 2018.

Nipah virus infection is diagnosed in its early stages using RT-PCR (real-time polymerase chain reaction) and later in the infection through ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay). Early diagnosis can be difficult as the initial signs and symptoms are often non-specific.

To prevent the spread of Nipah virus, several precautionary steps must be taken. The World Health Organisation (WHO) advises avoiding close, unprotected physical contact with individuals infected by the virus. It also recommends frequent handwashing, especially after caring for or visiting sick people.