Nipah Virus Infection-What You Need To Know To Take Control

Abstract

Nipah virus infection is a deadly communicable disease. It is a zoonotic disease transmitted especially from pigs and bats. Nipah virus is a member of the family paramyxoviridae, genus henipa virus. The recent outbreak of Nipah virus occurred in Kerala (May 2018). The symptoms include acute respiratory infection, fever, muscle pain, sore throat, confusion, encephalitis, coma etc. It is diagnosed by nasal and throat swabs, virus isolation, Real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and ELISA test. No effective remedy but treatment focuses on managing fever and other neurological symptoms. Ribavirin has been demonstrated effective in in vitro tests, but has not yet been proven effective in humans. Prohibition of Nipah virus infection is critical since there is no effective treatment. During the outbreak of Nipah virus infection in Kerala, steps taken by the state administration and with public support we could reduce the impact of the deadly disease.