In January, it was confirmed that five people in West Bengal, India, had contracted the illness.
Two nurses were on duty together at a hospital when they fell ill between December 28 and 30, before being admitted to intensive care on January 4, one of whom is in ‘critical condition’, local media reports.
As of January 26, 100 people have been quarantined, with no cases currently reported outside India.As a precaution to prevent the spread of the disease, Thailand, Nepal, and Taiwan have since increased their airport precautions, including temperature checks, face masks, and social distancing.
Thailand and Nepal have also started screening passengers coming in from West Bengal flights.
What is the Nipah virus and where did it come from?
The Nipah virus isn’t new and, according to World Health Organization (WHO), has been recognized since 1999 following an outbreak in Malaysia.
However, with that said, there is no cure for the disease, and it has a scarily high fatality rate of 40-75 per cent, though there is limited treatment, which is often intensive care.
The disease is known as a zoonotic virus, meaning it can jump from animals to humans. In this case, the animals are fruit bats, which are natural hosts of the virus.
Despite experts being aware of the virus, according to the WHO, there is no treatment or vaccine available for either people or animals.
Due to this, preventative action against the spread of diseases is considered very important. The WHO also recognized that there is a need for accelerated research and development on the virus.
Airports in Thailand, Nepal, and Taiwan have taken steps to help prevent the spread of the disease (NIH-NIAID/Image Point
How does the Nipah virus spread?
While the disease primarily spreads through bats, it can also spread through pigs and other animals such as goats, horses, dogs, or cats.
