2023-09-15 22:04:32
Ban on gatherings and closed schools: After two people died from an infection with the Nipah virus, India’s government has declared a lockdown in the Kerala region in the south of the country.
“We are in a phase of special caution and vigilance,” said Veena George, the state’s health minister, explaining the rigorous measures. Authorities imposed curfews and restricted access to government facilities, schools and religious sites across much of the state. An urgent warning applies to public transport.
People who have recently been in risk areas should get tested. Anyone who has flu-like symptoms must be isolated from now on. More than 700 people, including 150 health care workers, were isolated following coming into contact with infected people, it said. The virus has already been detected in four, but further test results are still pending. Health Minister Veena George said they wanted to search for all active cases.
Already the third outbreak
The Nipah virus is not completely new and has broken out in India for the third time. In 2018 there were 21 deaths in Kerala. Nipah infections have also occurred in Singapore and Malaysia, where the virus was first discovered in 1999. Despite the lockdown, the Indian authorities tried to reassure: “In 2018 it was a new virus for us and we had no experience in fighting such an infection. Now we have everything we need to effectively contain it,” emphasized health expert KK Shailaja. Nipah is a virus that is transmitted to humans from flying foxes, bats and pigs. The virus can also be passed on through contaminated food or through direct person-to-person contact.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), infected people usually suffer from fever, shortness of breath, headaches and vomiting. In rare cases, meningitis and seizures can occur, leading to coma. The incubation period is five days to two weeks.
A global epidemic?
According to the WHO, the Nipah virus is a pathogen that might cause a global epidemic. There is no vaccine or medication; according to the WHO, the death rate is 40 to 75 percent.
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