The 2020 Covid-19 pandemic taught many people and nations just how dangerous a virus spreading quickly can be.
Due to the lockdown and many restrictions still being in many people’s recent memory, it is no surprise that strong steps are being taken early after the deadly Nipah virus cases in Asia earlier this year.
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.
