Nipah virus claims teenager in India, 60 under observation
A 14-year-old boy from India has died in hospital after coming into contact with a deadly virus. Over 60 people are currently under observation. Dangerous pathogens for humans are transmitted, among other vectors, by bats.
A 14-year-old boy from Kerala, India, died from what is commonly known as brain fever. On Saturday, he suffered a cardiac arrest. Doctors quoted by Sky News reported that the teenager was infected with the Nipah virus.
Nipah is on the World Health Organization's short list of pathogens with the highest epidemic potential. The mortality rate ranges from 40-75%.
Following this event, Kerala's Health Minister Veena George announced that the government has set up 25 committees to identify and isolate those affected by the disease. More than 200 people were listed as the teenager's close contacts, with 60 in the highest-risk group. These individuals will now be monitored for the next seven to ten days.
Dr. Anoop Kumar, director of critical care medicine at Aster MIMS Hospital in Calicut, said the chance of an outbreak is minimal. If there are any further infections, symptoms should appear within 10 days.
Nipah - one of the most dangerous pathogens
Asian fruit bats primarily transmit the Nipah virus. The pathogen first jumped from bats to pigs and then transmitted to humans. According to Reuters, the brain-damaging Nipah virus has now found a way to jump from bats to humans without an intermediate host. Massive deforestation, among other factors, contributes to the spread of the virus.
Nipah previously caused outbreaks in Malaysia and Bangladesh. There is still no effective vaccine or medication against this virus, which makes it one of the most dangerous pathogens circulating in the natural environment.
