Emergency Number
The recent outbreak of Nipah Virus in Kerala has run a chill down the people residing there due to the high mortality rate and over 12 deaths that the virus has already havocked. The mortality rate of the virus is too high, almost all of the people who contracted it have lost their lives including the people who were admitted in the same hospital near the patient with Nipah virus and even the nurse who treated the first three affected by it.
People are scared because the mortality rate has been over 70% whenever it has been detected. The last time it was detected was in the year 2001 and 2007 when there was a major outbreak in Siliguri, West Bengal in India with over 71 cases out of which over 50 lost lives.
The Virus was first found in Malaysia and Singapore in the year 1998 but at that time was primarily detected in pigs and transferred through them to humans. As many as 265 people were affected them with over 40% admitted to the intensive care unit and 105 losing their lives. As per the world health organization is it a newly emerging zoonosis affecting both humans and animals severely.
Signs and Symptoms
An airborne infection and can affect anyone in direct contact with the bodies that are contaminated. The patient who contracts the virus experiences severe fever for many days due to brain inflammation and thus resulting into disorientation, confusion and drowsiness. If proper care is not taken, then it can aggravate within 24-48 hours and cause a coma too. The other signs include respiratory, pulmonary and neurological symptoms besides fever, nausea, headache, dizziness which can last from 7 to 10 days. Never ignore these symptoms and more importantly check for respiratory illness if any.
There is no Vaccine available for the condition as of now. Also, one more fact is that this virus can adapt or mutate just like the H1N1 virus. Even when H1N1 vaccinations are available, their affect is temporary for a year only because after a year the virus would have mutated. Hence, it is known to be highly deadly and best way to protect your self is to prevent it because mortality rate can be as high as 100%.
Its better to avoid eating date palm as well because the cause as of now for this outbreak is due to drinking date palm sap bitten by a bat and avoid human to human infections by wearing masks, hand gloves and socks, basically covering the entire body. Also avoid direct contact with bats, pigs and humans in endemic regions.
*source form internet
