‘Intensified surveillance at border points’
Public health agencies and border authorities are on high alert following an outbreak of a rare but potentially deadly virus in West Bengal, India. Washington Post reported.
What’s going on?
Two cases of Nipah virus have been confirmed, India’s Health Ministry said Tuesday, reviewed by the Post.
Nipah virus outbreaks occur periodically in South Asia and Southeast Asia, particularly in Bangladesh.
November One to work He described the virus as a “significant public health threat” in the Journal of Infection and Public Health and attributed the pathogen’s prevalence in Bangladesh to consumption of tainted raw date palm sap by fruit bats.
Nipah virus is a disease that can be transmitted from animals to humans It is transmitted from animals to humans, and the most common transmission vectors are bats and pigs.
Worryingly Nipah virus case fatality rate The death rate – relative to the total number of cases – is estimated to be between 40 percent and “75 percent or higher.” European Center for Disease Prevention and Control.
Ministry of Health of India contact tracing 196 people who may have been in close contact with two infected people were identified; all were asymptomatic and tested negative.
Why is this epidemic alarming?
Aspect Independent The World Health Organization has warned that it considers Nipah virus a “priority pathogen”, citing the credible possibility that an outbreak could “trigger the epidemic”.
WHO He also noted that there is neither a vaccine nor a known treatment for cases of Nipah virus, leaving only “intensive supportive care” to medical professionals. UK Health Security Agency.
According to the World Health Organization, Nipah virus outbreaks can have devastating knock-on effects, sickening livestock and “resulting in significant economic losses for farmers.”
In August, Inside Climate News Trials of a potential Nipah virus vaccine are expected to begin in Bangladesh, he reported, but cautioned that “just because the virus is rare now does not mean it always will be.”
The outlet cited a study published in 2012. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences About the trajectory of the Nipah virus in the United States.
In the third part of the study, the researchers took the Nipah virus as an example, strongly highlighting the role a warming world plays in the spread of vector-borne diseases.
As Inside Climate News notes, higher temperatures can expand the range of disease vectors such as fruit bats and mosquitoes, thus increasing the incidence of once-rare diseases.
What is being done about this?
Although there is no known cure, authorities in the field appear to be taking the Nipah virus outbreak seriously.
Nepal Minister of Health Dr. “We have particularly intensified surveillance at border points in Koshi Province. Health checks have also been ordered for people entering Nepal through other border crossings,” said Prakash Budhathoki. Himalaya Times.
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