At least nine people in southern India have died from infection with the deadly Nipah virus, which causes brain inflammation and respiratory diseases. The World Health Organization (WHO) ranks the infection among those that can cause a global epidemic. This is reported by Science Alert.
The Nipah virus is a relatively recently identified infectious agent. It was discovered in 1999 during an outbreak in Malaysia. The carrier is represented by representatives of the fruit bats (Pteropodidae), including flying foxes. The infection occurs in Australia, Bangladesh, India, China, Thailand, and Africa. The virus can spread from bats to other animals, including pigs and humans, and can also spread from person to person through saliva. Currently, there are no cures or vaccines for the disease, and 40 to 75 percent of those infected die.
A new outbreak has occurred in the city of Kozhikod in the Indian state of Kerala. The test results confirmed that three of the nine who died in the body had the Nipah virus. In addition, another 25 people were hospitalized with suspected infection.
The disease may be asymptomatic, but encephalitis develops more often. Patients complain of muscle weakness, sore throat, fever, then signs of damage to the central nervous system appear, which ends in a coma. In some cases, the lungs are affected and acute respiratory failure may occur. Even if a person has survived a primary infection, the virus can reactivate months or years later. Those who recover may have persistent neurological symptoms, including personality changes.