Wednesday 30 May 2018

Nipah Virus - Prevention & Treatment

For a week this word "Nipah Virus" is very familiar to everyone, especially in INDIA. It is shortly called as NiV. Though this one has history from 1999, this time it turns for INDIA to face it. Now Everyone may get shocked and have this question in mind that Nipah Virus is not a new one? Yes! it is not a new Virus. Read the detailed content below to know about it. 


Introduction:
It is an RNA (Ribonucleic acid) virus comes under Paramyxovidae (Birds, Vertebrates and humans are the natural hosts) family and it is identified as a Zoonotic pathogen (a disease that can spread from animals to humans). First, it is identified from Malaysia and Singapore in the year 1998 and 1999 from the severe respiratory illness from the Pig and encephalitic disease (Inflammation of brain) in humans.

How the Transmission happens?
Since it is a Zoonotic pathogen (a disease that can spread from animals to humans), there is a possibility to transfer from animals to humans. The source of this Transmission is from Pig & fruit Bat. It is found that human infections result from direct contact with sick pigs or with infected tissues. The transmission has occurred via respiratory droplets, contact with throat from the pigs and infected tissues of the sick animal. All the above-mentioned Transmission source are found from the outbreaks of Malaysia and Singapore. From the outbreaks of India & Bangladesh, it is found that infection happened through consumption of fruits contaminated with urine or saliva from infected fruit bat. very few transmission from human to human had reported previously. since the outbreaks from Bangladesh and India, it has come to know that half of the transmission happened through humans especially from visitors and Hospital staff's (take carers)

Symptoms:
Infected people may experience mild fever, sore throat, headache, muscle pain and vomiting followed by dizziness, drowsiness, altered consciousness and encephalitis. Encephalitis may lead to comma within 24 to 48 hrs. The incubation period for this disease is 4 - 14 days. To diagnose this disease, three test needed to take, they are ELISA, PCR & Virus isolation by cell culture.

Preventive Measures:
Still, there is no medicine for this disease, we can take some preventive measures to be safe and secure.
  • Pig farms need to be cleaned regularly with some detergents.
  • If any symptom is suspected from any animal then that particular animal should be quarantined. 
  • Restriction from an infected farm to other places for that particular animal. 
  • Animal health surveillance system needs to be implemented in domestic areas since there is a possibility of transmission from domestic animals also.
  • it is suggested to wash hands frequently and cook the food properly before consumes it.
  • Still, there is no Vaccine for this disease, Awareness programme needs to be done among public concentrating on transmission from Bat to Human, animal to human and Human to Human. 


Finally, it is come to know that this virus is very dangerous. so, from the preventive measures, we can keep yourself safe. If there is any medicine available in future, then it will be updated on this blog. There is a talk going on that "Gelsemium 200" is the medicine cures Nipah Virus but, there is no official announcement from World Health Organisation (WHO). Share this article with your friends. It may be useful to others. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBgl3kloDec&t=2s


Credits: World Health Organisation

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