Nipah Virus Outbreak: Should We Worry Yet? Expert Clears Our Doubts About the Viral Outbreak in Kerala
As of today, there's no need to worry about the Nipah virus spreading to the rest of the country, says Dr. Om Shrivastava, an expert in infectious diseases.
Kozhikode (erstwhile Calicut) district of Kerala has become the epicentre of another Nipah virus outbreak in India. As of today, 12 lives have been claimed, including that of Nurse Lini Puthuserry who contracted the illness after taking care of the first two victims. Kerala CM Pinnarai Vijayan’s office has ensured that the virulence is localised, but that hasn’t stopped the rest of the country from panicking.
Rumour mongering on social media has led to a panic that the virus may be soon on its way to the rest of the country. Dr. Om Shrivastava, Consultant – Infectious Diseases and Immunology helps us put these rumours to rest and addresses some of the most pertinent questions about the dreaded Nipah virus infection in Kerala.
How Bad Is the Situation?
Nipah virus infection has a very high fatality rate ranging from 40 to 75 percent, according to WHO’s assessment of previous outbreaks. There is every reason to worry about the virus making its way to the rest of the country. Dr. Shirvastava, however, assures us that there’s no need to worry…yet. “It has to be assessed on a day-to-day basis. So as of today, there’s nothing to worry about. We can’t say anything about tomorrow,” he adds.
What Precautions Can I Take?
Prevention is the biggest weapon in our arsenal against the dreaded virus. According to Kerala state government, the threat is localised. So for now, the rest of the country can relax. But people from the endemic areas should be extra vigilant to avoid contracting the infection.
Center of Diseases Control and Prevention recommends avoiding interaction with livestock, exposure to sick pigs and bats in endemic areas, drinking water from dubious sources without boiling, consuming raw date palm sap and eating fallen fruit. It’s also imperative to avoid any kind of contact with infected people. A proper protocol should be followed even while cremating dead bodies.
“If you live in the endemic areas and you see symptoms such as headache, fever, confusion, you should go to the nodal hospital at once and start treatment,” says Dr. Shrivastava.
What If I Have To Travel To Kerala?
As of today, the contagion has not assumed severe proportions so need not cancel your travel plans. The Health Minister of Kerala KK Shylaja has also assured that things are in control and the equipment to contain the virus is in place. Dr. Shrivastava adds that currently there is no advisory issued against travelling to that part of the country. “There is no need to restrict travel to Kerala,” he says.
The ground zero for the 2018 Nipah virus outbreak is Perambra, a small town in Koyilandy taluk of Kozhikode. And if the state government’s assurance is anything to go by, the disease will be contained there. Calling the outbreak a "localised" occurance, the Union Health Ministry also urged people not to panic and stated that the outbreak is unlikely to spread, since early and efficient measures to contain the virus are being taken. As of now, Dr. Shrivastava assures, there is no reason to panic about Nipah virus spreading to the rest of the country.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 23, 2018 12:44 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).