According to media reports,An outbreak of Nipah virus has recently occurred in West Bengal, eastern India. Five cases of infection have been confirmed so far, and nearly 100 people have been quarantined for observation. Neighboring countries such as Thailand and Nepal have strengthened health screening for travelers from India.
Wang Xinyu, deputy director of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Huashan Hospital affiliated to Fudan University, recently wrote an article stating that according to monitoring data from the WHO and other parties, India has indeed been in an active period of Nipah virus recently. Although the epidemic has not reached a large-scale epidemic level, it shows the characteristics of high local fatality rate, cross-regional spread and cluster infections in hospitals.
The most alarming thing about Nipah virus is its high fatality rate, which fluctuates between 40% and 75% in different epidemics, and can even reach 100% in individual outbreaks.The virus mainly attacks the human brain and lungs, can cause severe pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome, and can penetrate the blood-brain barrier and cause fatal encephalitis. Patients may quickly fall into coma within 24-48 hours after the onset of symptoms.
Wang Xinyu also said that there have been no reported cases of human Nipah virus infection in mainland China so far. The public does not need to panic, but should remain in awe and believe in the scientific monitoring and prevention and control system. In the face of such viruses, we need to maintain "strategic vigilance" and "tactical calm."
He emphasized that the spillover of Nipah virus is often related to ecological environment damage, and protecting wildlife habitats is crucial. The public should pay attention to personal protection and food hygiene:Do not eat bats or wild animals of unknown origin; in tropical areas, fruits should be thoroughly washed and peeled, and fruits with animal bite marks or damage should be discarded; avoid drinking unboiled raw date palm juice or palm juice in epidemic areas.
If you have a travel history to affected areas such as India and Bangladesh, and if you develop fever, headache, difficulty breathing and other symptoms after returning home, you should seek medical treatment immediately and inform your travel history.
Although there is currently no specific medicine,However, the vaccine against Nipah virus has entered the clinical trial stage, and monoclonal antibodies have also shown certain potential in compassionate use.
