What is Nipah virus? Symptoms to watch out for as India races to contain deadly outbreak
Nipah virus symptoms explained as deadly outbreak spreads in India
- India is actively containing a Nipah virus outbreak in West Bengal, with five confirmed cases, including medical staff, leading to nearly 100 people being quarantined.
- Nipah is a highly dangerous virus with no available vaccine or cure, and it is categorised as a high-risk pathogen by the World Health Organization.
- The virus typically causes flu-like symptoms, respiratory problems, and severe brain inflammation (encephalitis), with a high fatality rate ranging from 40 to 75 per cent.
- Transmission primarily occurs from fruit bats to humans, often through contaminated food, and can also spread from animals to humans and through close human-to-human contact.
- Prevention strategies focus on avoiding contact with infected bats or animals, not consuming potentially contaminated food like raw date palm sap, and practising strict hygiene to prevent person-to-person spread.