Nipah virus infection in India

Question- What is true in regard to the Nipah Virus Infection?
(a) For the first time in India, this infection has been confirmed in Kerala in 2018.
(b) NiV was first identified in Bangladesh.
(c) Nipah Virus has also Human-to-human transmission.
(d) Pigs are the natural host of the virus.
Answer: (c) 
Related Facts: 

  • In May, 2018, the official confirmation of the infection of Nipah Virus (NiV) in the southern state of India was confirmed in Kerala.
  • This infection is hazardous; many people have been infected so far.
  • This virus has been confirmed in Kozhikode district of Kerala.
  • The Union Health Ministry has issued a consultation letter to stop and avoid infection in many states of the country, declaring a high alert.
  • Nipah Virus or NiV is deadly for both animals and humans.
  • This infection is mainly spread in mouths and other animals with false fruit eaten in infected bats.
  • Nipah virus infection in humans causes a range of clinical presentations, from asymptomatic infection (subclinical) to acute respiratory infection and fatal encephalitis.
  • The natural host of the virus is fruit bats of the Pteropodidae Family, Pteropus genus.
  • When the fruit infected with Nipah Virus, when any fruit eats and the same fruit consumes any animal, that animal also falls under the disease.
  • It is spread mainly in animals with pigs and dogs in animals.
  • If an infected bat falls on any fruit and a person consumes it without washing it can also fall into the Nipah.
  • Nipah virus in India- 
  • Nipah virus in India is not the first time in India.
  • Earlier, many people were killed in this West Bengal infection twice by this virus.
  • For the first time, in Siliguri in 2001 and for the second time in 2007, this virus was spread in Nadia district.
  • NiV infection- 
  • Nipah virus (NiV) infection is a newly emerging zoonosis that causes severe disease in both animals and humans.
  • NiV was first identified during an outbreak of disease that took place in Kampung Sungai Nipah, Malaysia in 1998.
  • On this occasion, pigs were the intermediate hosts. However, in subsequent NiV outbreaks, there were no intermediate hosts.
  • In Bangladesh in 2004, humans became infected with NiV as a result of consuming date palm sap that had been contaminated by infected fruit bats.
  • Human-to-human transmission has also been documented, including in a hospital setting in India.
  • NiV infection in humans has a range of clinical presentations, from asymptomatic infection to acute respiratory syndrome and fatal encephalitis.
  • NiV is also capable of causing disease in pigs and other domestic animals.
  • There is no treatment or vaccine available for either people or animals. The primary treatment for humans is supportive care.

Reference:                            
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-44193145
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/nipah-virus-latest-infectious-disease-outbreak-kerala-vaccine-bats-encephalitis-a8362761.html
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2018-05-medical-teams-south-india-deadly.html
http://www.who.int/csr/disease/nipah/en/
https://aajtak.intoday.in/gallery/nipah-virus-is-spreading-in-kerala-tst-3-22015.html