According to the "Nature" website, there has been an outbreak of Nipah virus in the southern state of Kerala recently. Six people have been infected, two have died, and more than 700 close contacts have been tested. The state government has closed some public transportation facilities, schools and offices. How big is the threat of Nipah virus? Will it cause a large-scale epidemic?
Nipah virus is an animal-to-human virus that can be contracted through food, such as dates contaminated with fruit bat urine or saliva. Symptoms of infection include headache, drowsiness, epileptic seizures, etc., which can quickly turn into coma within a few days, leading to difficulty breathing, fatal encephalitis, etc., with a fatality rate of about 40% to 75%. Kerala has had four outbreaks in the past five years, killing 17 people in 2018.
There is no specific cure for Nipah virus infection, and treatment is limited to supportive care, including rest and fluids. Relevant monoclonal antibodies are under development, and remdesivir has also been proven effective against infected monkeys.
Experts analyze that Nipah virus can be transmitted from person to person, but it is not as transmissible as other animal-to-human viruses, and the risk of global infection is small. Moreover, its high lethality also reduces its transmissibility. If it becomes milder and more contagious, it may cause a larger epidemic.
To prevent Nipah virus outbreaks, attention must be paid to environmental and ecological management. Habitat survival pressure can accelerate the release of viruses by bats, so restoring forest areas can keep them at a safe distance from humans. In particular, the fruits of some trees are delicacies for bats, but humans do not eat them. Planting more of these trees can prevent humans from contacting them and causing the spread of viruses.