Nipah outbreaks still a puzzle; crucial man-animal link missing
3 months ago

Nipah outbreaks still a puzzle; crucial man-animal link missing

New Indian Express  

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As the state grapples with its sixth Nipah virus outbreak, and the second one this year, there is still a lack of comprehensive understanding regarding effective prevention methods. While the health department’s efforts to contain Nipah were seen as a success, the World Health Organisation pointed out that there was a missed opportunity to collect timely and accurate data to better understand the epidemiology, clinical, and virological characteristics of NiV and to introduce emergency-driven clinical trials for potential treatments. “Understanding the connection between animal reservoirs and human infections is essential for developing better preventive measures,” said Dr Althaf A, a public health expert and professor at the Government Medical College in Thiruvananthapuram. Fruit bats, particularly Pteropus species, are known reservoirs for the Nipah virus, but the exact transmission mechanism to humans is still not well understood.

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History of this topic

Despite repeated Nipah outbreaks, Kerala yet to look into bat biology
3 months ago

Despite repeated Nipah outbreaks, Kerala yet to look into bat biology

New Indian Express  

“Till the source is traced the Nipah virus infections will recur,” head of the Wildlife Biology Department at KFRI Balakrishnan Peroth told TNIE. “KFRI has all the expertise, human resources and infrastructure to carry out a scientific study on the biology of bats. Though KFRI has researchers and students who deal with bats, the state government has yet to approach …

Kerala government publishes ‘route map’ of Nipah victim, 104 contacts are ‘high-risk’
3 months, 1 week ago

Kerala government publishes ‘route map’ of Nipah victim, 104 contacts are ‘high-risk’

Hindustan Times  

The Kerala government mandated face masks in Malappuram district, declared five wards in two panchayats as containment zones, and compiled a contact list of 175 people following a recent Nipah virus fatality on Monday. Partial restrictions have been implemented across Malappuram district, with authorities advising reduced attendance at private functions The state health department on Sunday confirmed that samples from …

Fruit bats suspected source of Nipah in 14-year-old from Kerala
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Fruit bats suspected source of Nipah in 14-year-old from Kerala

New Indian Express  

MALAPPURAM: The test results from the National Institute of Virology and the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases point out that fruit bats could likely be the source of Nipah infection in the 14-year-old boy who died of the disease in Pandikkad, Malappuram. Following the confirmation of Nipah infection in Pandikkad, a team of experts from the State Institute …

Why the inability to identify the Nipah virus sources is a concern in Kerala
5 months ago

Why the inability to identify the Nipah virus sources is a concern in Kerala

Hindustan Times  

Kerala is on high alert after a 14-year-old boy in the Malappuram district was diagnosed with Nipah virus infection on Sunday. While initiating preventive protocols and steps to contain the virus in the reported area itself, health department officials are said to have zeroed in on a potential cause for the re-emergence of the Nipah virus. Some local doctors cite …

Nipah outbreak: 6 from other Kerala districts on teen victim's contact list
5 months ago

Nipah outbreak: 6 from other Kerala districts on teen victim's contact list

India Today  

Kerala health officials are scrambling to contain a Nipah virus outbreak after it emerged that six individuals from outside the initial affected district were in contact with a 14-year-old boy who died after testing positive for the virus. Test results are awaited from 13 close contacts of the victim, a resident of Malappuram, Health Minister Veena George said on Monday. …

Centre advises 4 immediate measures after Kerala boy infected with Nipah virus dies
5 months ago

Centre advises 4 immediate measures after Kerala boy infected with Nipah virus dies

Hindustan Times  

A 14-year-old boy from Mallapuram district of Kerala succumbed to the Nipah virus, triggering an urgent public health response from the Centre. The Union health ministry has advised the Kerala government to implement four immediate public health measures, including active case search and contact tracing. To support the state government in managing the outbreak, a multi-member joint outbreak response team …

Kerala: 14-year-old dies of Nipah virus in Kozhikode
5 months ago

Kerala: 14-year-old dies of Nipah virus in Kozhikode

Hindustan Times  

A 14-year-old boy, who was being treated for the Nipah virus, in Kerala's Kozhikode died on Sunday, PTI reported, citing the state government. Health workers shifted people who have been in contact with a person infected with the Nipah virus to an isolation centre at a government hospital in Kozhikode in September 2023. Kerala health minister Veena George said the …

Centre to deploy team to support Kerala in probing Nipah virus case
5 months ago

Centre to deploy team to support Kerala in probing Nipah virus case

New Indian Express  

NEW DELHI: The government will deploy a multi-member joint outbreak response team to support Kerala in investigating a Nipah virus case detected in its Mallapuram district, identifying epidemiological linkages and providing technical assistance. In a statement on Sunday, the Union health ministry said a 14-year-old boy from the district exhibited the acute encephalitis syndrome and was admitted to a healthcare …

Oxford scientists launch first human vaccine trials for deadly Nipah virus
11 months, 1 week ago

Oxford scientists launch first human vaccine trials for deadly Nipah virus

The Hindu  

Scientists at the University of Oxford in the U.K. have launched first-in-human vaccine trials for the deadly Nipah virus which impacts many Asian countries, including India. "Nipah virus was first identified in 1998, and yet 25 years on the global health community still has no approved vaccines or treatments for this devastating disease," said the trial's Principal Investigator, Brian Angus, …

Nipah outbreak: ‘Driving away bats is not the answer’
1 year, 1 month ago

Nipah outbreak: ‘Driving away bats is not the answer’

The Hindu  

Published : Nov 16, 2023 00:00 IST - 6 MINS READ In September, two Nipah deaths were reported in Kerala. Excerpts from an interview: What explains the sudden, recent emergence of Nipah in Kerala when bat species that carry the virus have been living in proximity to human settlements for hundreds of thousands of years? Nipah outbreak in Kerala: Key …

Kerala govt cites ICMR report, says possibility of Nipah virus presence in bats in Wayanad
1 year, 1 month ago

Kerala govt cites ICMR report, says possibility of Nipah virus presence in bats in Wayanad

Hindustan Times  

Citing an ICMR report, the Kerala government on Wednesday said that there was a possibility of Nipah virus presence in bats in Wayanad district of the state. State Health Minister Veena George said that the Indian Council of Medical Research gave this information based on its studies of the bat samples collected by it. The minister said that it does …

Nipah infection possible in more places in Southeast Asia, says Nature article
1 year, 2 months ago

Nipah infection possible in more places in Southeast Asia, says Nature article

The Hindu  

Many places in Southeast Asia, such as Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, southern China, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and some Indian States, have Nipah virus reservoirs and could experience cross-species transmission to humans, says an article published in the recent issue of Nature journal. It is highly probable that many places in Southeast Asia have Nipah virus reservoirs and could experience spillovers. …

No new Nipah virus cases in India since September 15, says WHO
1 year, 2 months ago

No new Nipah virus cases in India since September 15, says WHO

Live Mint  

The World Health Organization on Tuesday said that no new cases of Nipah virus have been detected in India since September 15. From September 12 to 15, India's health ministry reported six laboratory-confirmed Nipah virus cases, including two deaths, in Kozhikode district in the southern state of Kerala. Since September 12, 387 samples have been tested, of which six cases …

WHO says no new cases of Nipah virus detected since Sept 15
1 year, 2 months ago

WHO says no new cases of Nipah virus detected since Sept 15

Firstpost  

In its sixth outbreak in the country since 2001 this year, the virus, known for its 70% mortality rate, has claimed two lives out of the six who were infected in a span of few days in September, sending the Kerala government scrambling to contain the spread No fresh cases of the deadly Nipah virus have been detected since September …

Nipah virus in Kerala: 4 people including minor recover from infection
1 year, 2 months ago

Nipah virus in Kerala: 4 people including minor recover from infection

Live Mint  

Nipah virus update: Kerala Health Minister Veena George has shared an update on Nipah virus update in the state. The state Health Minister Veena George said that four people, including a nine-year-old boy, who were under treatment for Nipah in Kozhikode have recovered. While speaking to news agency ANI, she shared the good news and said, “"Four people including a …

Lessons from Nipah outbreak in Kerala
1 year, 2 months ago

Lessons from Nipah outbreak in Kerala

Hindustan Times  

The Nipah Virus infection reported from Kozhikode, Kerala, coming in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, has attracted worldwide attention. The World Organisation for Animal Health observed that human cases have occurred sporadically in Bangladesh and India since 2003 without apparent related domestic animal disease outbreaks, suggesting possible human-to-human transmission. Covid-19 prompted the Prime Minister’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Advisory …

Nipah Virus: Restrictions Eased in Kerala As No New Cases Found in Last One Week
1 year, 3 months ago

Nipah Virus: Restrictions Eased in Kerala As No New Cases Found in Last One Week

News 18  

The district authorities in Kerala’s Kozhikode on Friday lifted the containment zone restrictions from all the wards of the nine panchayats in Vadakara Taluk and relaxed other curbs in the remaining zones after no new Nipah cases were reported in the state since September 16. The District Collector’s order said that all shops within the containment zones can operate till …

Nipah virus outbreak: Watch out for these 3 risk factors
1 year, 3 months ago

Nipah virus outbreak: Watch out for these 3 risk factors

Hindustan Times  

For the third time in five years, the brain-damaging Nipah virus has surfaced again in the Kozhikode district of Kerala, leading the state health department to declare a health alert after two “unnatural” deaths were reported, followed by four high-risk contact cases with a 9-year-old on ventilator support. Nipah virus outbreak: Watch out for these 3 risk factors In an …

Nipah virus: Health department tightens restrictions in Kerala
1 year, 3 months ago

Nipah virus: Health department tightens restrictions in Kerala

Hindustan Times  

The Kerala health department on Saturday tightened restrictions in Kozhikode district in the wake of the sixth case of Nipah virus being reported the previous day, officials familiar with the matter said. No fresh infections were reported on Saturday, as 11 more samples of ‘high-risk’ contacts sent for testing turned out to be “negative.” Health workers wearing protective gears shift …

Rare, deadly Nipah virus in Kerala: What are the symptoms?
1 year, 3 months ago

Rare, deadly Nipah virus in Kerala: What are the symptoms?

The Hindu  

Published : Sep 16, 2023 21:46 IST - 4 MINS READ The deadly Nipah virus has broken out again in Kerala. To contain a new outbreak of the dangerous Nipah virus, thousands of offices and schools have been closed in Kerala. Kerala Health Minister Veena George confirmed another case of the Nipah virus on Wednesday, bringing the total number of …

Why Nipah virus outbreaks are occurring only in Kerala
1 year, 3 months ago

Why Nipah virus outbreaks are occurring only in Kerala

The Hindu  

Since May 2018 when Kerala reported the first Nipah outbreak in Kozhikode district, there have been three more outbreaks of Nipah virus including the latest one in late-August 2023. “Whenever we have undiagnosed fever cases, a team involving virologists is formed and we undertake a detailed investigation which helps us diagnose Nipah virus and other new virus outbreaks early. In …

How Kerala detected Nipah virus cases early this time and acted
1 year, 3 months ago

How Kerala detected Nipah virus cases early this time and acted

India Today  

When it struck in 2018, Nipah was a new disease for Kerala. Dr A.S. Anoop Kumar, director of Aster MIMS Hospital in Kozhikode, who identified the first cluster of Nipah patients in the district this time, told INDIA TODAY that it was his experience of handling the first outbreak back in 2018 that helped spot the symptoms early in people. …

Public not warned about probability of recurrence of the disease - The Hindu
1 year, 3 months ago

Public not warned about probability of recurrence of the disease - The Hindu

The Hindu  

As the State encounters Nipah for the fourth time in five years, the reigning question is that why the State, which has been efficient in curtailing the spread of the virus three times, has not been able to come up with a proper mechanism to prevent it; more importantly, why the public has not been warned about the probability of …

Nipah outbreak: Animal Husbandry department steps up surveillance, issues guidelines
1 year, 3 months ago

Nipah outbreak: Animal Husbandry department steps up surveillance, issues guidelines

The Hindu  

The Animal Husbandry department has stepped up surveillance in the livestock sector in view of the Nipah outbreak in Kozhikode district. The department has formed a team under the District Animal Husbandry Officer, Kozhikode, in view of the recent outbreak. The decisions were taken at a high-level meeting convened by the Additional Director, Animal Husbandry Department, on Thursday. The Regional …

Nipah virus outbreak in India: What do we know so far?
1 year, 3 months ago

Nipah virus outbreak in India: What do we know so far?

Hindustan Times  

Authorities in India are scrambling to contain a rare outbreak of Nipah, a virus spread from animals to humans that causes deadly fever with a high mortality rate. Health workers collect blood samples from goats in the neighborhood for testing after a 12-year-old boy died of the Nipah virus in Kozhikode, Kerala. The first Nipah outbreak was recorded in 1998 …

Nipah Virus's mortality is higher compared to Covid infection, says ICMR
1 year, 3 months ago

Nipah Virus's mortality is higher compared to Covid infection, says ICMR

India TV News  

In a press conference conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research, Director General Rajeev Bahl said that the Nipah virus' cases mortality rate is higher in comparison to Covid cases. The Nipah virus mortality rate is 40-70% as the Covid virus' is 2-3%. The Director General Rajeev Bahl said that India will be procuring 20 more doses of monoclonal …

Nipah outbreak: Bats spotted at farmland owned by index case, say officials
1 year, 3 months ago

Nipah outbreak: Bats spotted at farmland owned by index case, say officials

Hindustan Times  

Kochi: The 47-year-old who died on August 30, considered the index case in the current Nipah virus outbreak in Kerala, owned farmland near his home in Maruthonkara panchayat filled with areca nut trees and banana plants where bats are mostly seen, locals and health officials said, offering clues to the cause of the Nipah outbreak in Kozhikode district. Health workers …

Genotype I strain of Nipah virus variant likely present in Kerala
1 year, 3 months ago

Genotype I strain of Nipah virus variant likely present in Kerala

Hindustan Times  

The strain of Nipah virus variant present in Kerala is likely to be genotype I, according to people familiar with the matter. Health workers at a control room set up amid Nipah virus outbreak in Kerala Read here: Nipah virus: Past outbreaks, scrutiny helped in case detection Nipah virus is a highly pathogenic virus that causes fatal encephalitis—swelling of the …

Nipah scare leaves Kozhikode exotic fruit farmers in distress
1 year, 3 months ago

Nipah scare leaves Kozhikode exotic fruit farmers in distress

The Hindu  

Resurfacing of the Nipah virus infection with fruit bats as suspected hosts has put hundreds of farmers who cultivate exotic fruits in the uplands areas of Kozhikode district in an unexpected crisis. With exotic fruits such as rambutan, dragon fruit, guava and lychee getting attractive prices, many farmers who used to cultivate only traditional items have been trying their hand …

Nipah virus outbreak in Kerala: Karnataka, Tamil Nadu ramp up vigil at borders
1 year, 3 months ago

Nipah virus outbreak in Kerala: Karnataka, Tamil Nadu ramp up vigil at borders

Live Mint  

In the wake of the Nipah virus in Kerala, neighboring states Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have increased vigil in the bordering districts to prevent the spread of the virus. Not just Karnataka, Tamil Nadu has also sounded an alert in the districts sharing borders with Kerala. In Kozhikode all educational institutions will remain closed on Thursday and Friday in the …

Nipah outbreak | Studies on the ecological dynamics of NiV and disease epidemiology crucial
1 year, 3 months ago

Nipah outbreak | Studies on the ecological dynamics of NiV and disease epidemiology crucial

The Hindu  

In 2019, when Nipah surfaced in the State for a second consecutive year, experts had warned that given the omnipresence of the Pteropus medius species of bats, found to be the key reservoirs of Nipah virus across the State, Kerala should probably expect annual outbreaks of Nipah, and not necessarily in the same location or with the same symptom profile. …

Nipah outbreak | Connection between environment and epidemic in focus
1 year, 3 months ago

Nipah outbreak | Connection between environment and epidemic in focus

The Hindu  

The similarity of the localities from where the Nipah infection originated three times in Kozhikode district raises a few questions about the link between environment and the epidemic. Kallad in Maruthonkara panchayat, epicentre of the present outbreak, is only 10 km by road from Sooppikkada in Perambra where the virus struck in 2018. Editorial | Unified approach: On the Nipah …

What is Nipah Virus? Symptoms, diagnosis and treatment
1 year, 3 months ago

What is Nipah Virus? Symptoms, diagnosis and treatment

India Today  

Nipah virus has once again been detected in Kerala's Kozhikode district, marking the third occurrence of the virus in the area since 2018. According to the World Health Organisation, Nipah Virus is defined as a zoonotic illness transmitted from animals to humans and can also be spread through contaminated food or direct person-to-person contact. NIPAH VIRUS SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS: Human …

Nipah breaks out again in Kerala, claims two lives
1 year, 3 months ago

Nipah breaks out again in Kerala, claims two lives

The Hindu  

Nipah scare returned to Kerala, with two deaths reported from Kozhikode district on Tuesday. A Central government team of four experts has also been sent to Kerala to assist the State government in surveillance and reduction in the response time, said the Minister. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, in a social media post on Tuesday, said the State government was viewing …

Nipah virus suspected behind ‘unnatural’ deaths in India: Causes, risk factors, symptoms, treatment
1 year, 3 months ago

Nipah virus suspected behind ‘unnatural’ deaths in India: Causes, risk factors, symptoms, treatment

Hindustan Times  

The Kerala Health Department has issued a health alert in Kozhikode district after two “unnatural” deaths by suspected Nipah virus infection were reported on August 30 and September 11. Nipah virus suspected behind ‘unnatural’ deaths in India: Causes, risk factors, symptoms, treatment Risk Factors of Nipah Virus: In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Aniket Mule, Consultant Internal Medicine at …

Vaccine-resistant new COVID-like virus discovered in Russian bats could infect humans, finds study
2 years, 2 months ago

Vaccine-resistant new COVID-like virus discovered in Russian bats could infect humans, finds study

Firstpost  

Washington: A newS-CoV-2-like virus discovered in Russian bats is capable of infecting humans, and is resistant to current vaccines against COVID-19, a study has found. A team led by researchers at Washington State University, US, found spike proteins from the bat virus, named Khosta-2, can infect human cells and is resistant to both the antibody therapies and blood serum from …

Nipah Antibodies Detected in Two Varieties of Bats, Says Kerala Health Minister
3 years, 2 months ago

Nipah Antibodies Detected in Two Varieties of Bats, Says Kerala Health Minister

News 18  

Kerala Health Minister Veena George on Wednesday said antibodies against Nipah virus were found in the samples of two varieties of bats by National Institute of Virology in Pune, giving credence to the speculation that bats were the spreaders of the deadly infection. The minister, speaking to reporters, said NIV Pune had collected samples of various varieties of bats from …

Why The World Should Be More Than A Bit Worried About India's Nipah Virus Outbreak
3 years, 3 months ago

Why The World Should Be More Than A Bit Worried About India's Nipah Virus Outbreak

NPR  

Why The World Should Be More Than A Bit Worried About India's Nipah Virus Outbreak Enlarge this image toggle caption C.K. "It's really difficult to establish the cause of the boy's illness," says Dr. Thekkumkara Surendran Anish, associate professor of community medicine at the Government Medical College in Thiruvananthapuram. "We have a very clear understanding of how Nipah virus moves …

Source of Nipah infection still elusive
3 years, 3 months ago

Source of Nipah infection still elusive

The Hindu  

Efforts to trace the source of the Nipah infection that claimed the life of 12-year-old Mohammed Hashim of Chathamangalam in Kozhikode district appeared to be inconclusive, even a week after his death on September 5. Officials in the Department of Animal Husbandry said on Saturday that the body fluid samples collected from 26 goats on the premises of Hashim’s house …

Nipah virus: Karnataka government directs districts to strengthen preparedness after outbreak in Kerala
3 years, 3 months ago

Nipah virus: Karnataka government directs districts to strengthen preparedness after outbreak in Kerala

Firstpost  

District Authorities should take all the necessary measures as instructed and as per the local situation, a government advisory added. Bengaluru: With confirmed cases of the Nipah virus infection reported recently in neighboring Kerala, the Karnataka government on Tuesday directed districts bordering that state to strengthen the surveillance and preparedness. “In view of confirmed cases of Nipha virus infection reported …

Explained | Why is Nipah’s return in Kerala a cause for concern?
3 years, 3 months ago

Explained | Why is Nipah’s return in Kerala a cause for concern?

The Hindu  

The story so far: Kerala has reported a fatality from a case of infection by the Nipah virus in the northern district of Kozhikode bringing back memories of the chaos in May-June 2018 when the same district reported 18 confirmed cases of which there were 17 laboratory-confirmed deaths. The human Nipah virus, as it is called, is classified as an …

Nipah virus: 11 more people showing symptoms in Kozhikode village where boy died
3 years, 3 months ago

Nipah virus: 11 more people showing symptoms in Kozhikode village where boy died

India Today  

A day after a 12-year-old boy in Kozhikode succumbed to the Nipah virus, Kerala health minister Veena George confirmed that 11 more people, including the child’s mother, are showing symptoms of the viral infection. Samples have been taken from all 11 persons suspected of contracting Nipah virus, of which results of eight samples are expected by Monday night, said Veena …

Twelve-yr-old in Kerala succumbs to Nipah virus infection; symptoms, origin, causes of disease
3 years, 3 months ago

Twelve-yr-old in Kerala succumbs to Nipah virus infection; symptoms, origin, causes of disease

Firstpost  

Nipah virus or, which was first identified during an outbreak in Kampung Sungai Nipah, Malaysia in 1998, is primarily a zoonotic disease carried by fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family Indian state of Kerala, which has seen a previous outbreak of Nipah virus in 2018 and stray cases going back to as far as 2001, has again reported a case …

12-year-old boy dies of Nipah virus in Kerala's Kozhikode
3 years, 3 months ago

12-year-old boy dies of Nipah virus in Kerala's Kozhikode

India Today  

A 12-year-old boy died of Nipah virus in Kozhikode district of Kerala early on Sunday. Kerala health minister Veena George said the 12-year-old boy had been admitted to a private hospital first, then brought to a medical college and finally taken back to the private hospital. Two more people have been identified with symptoms of Nipah virus infection, Kerala health …

How the deadly Nipah virus jumps from bats to humans found
4 years, 1 month ago

How the deadly Nipah virus jumps from bats to humans found

India TV News  

The deadly Nipah virus kills nearly 75 per cent of the people it infects, but the circumstances under which the bat species, known as the Indian flying fox, transmits the virus to humans has remained a mystery. "To prevent outbreaks in humans, we need to know when bats may transmit the virus, and this study provides a deep understanding of …

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