As the Kerala state government takes decisive measures to combat the latest outbreak of the Nipah virus, a growing concern looms over the extensive contact list of infected individuals. Approximately 700 people have been identified as having come into contact with the infected patients, with a particularly alarming subset of 77 individuals falling into the high-risk category.
Health authorities have initiated extensive testing efforts, as the virus is known to spread through contact with the bodily fluids of infected bats, pigs, or humans. A state health official on Wednesday, confirmed that at least 706 people, including 153 healthcare workers, are currently undergoing tests to curb the spread of the virus. The results of these tests are anxiously awaited.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan emphasized the importance of continued testing, stating, "More people could be tested... Isolation facilities will be provided."
Since August 30th, two individuals have succumbed to the virus, marking Kerala's fourth Nipah outbreak since 2018. As a result, authorities have imposed containment zones in at least eight villages within the Kozhikode region.
State Health Minister Veena George highlighted the urgency of contact tracing and early isolation of symptomatic individuals. The strain of the Nipah virus detected in Kerala matches the one previously found in Bangladesh, characterized by a high mortality rate but lower infectiousness through human-to-human transmission.
The Nipah virus, first identified in 1999 during an outbreak in Malaysia and Singapore, has sporadically resurfaced in South Asia. Past infections in the region have often been linked to the consumption of date-palm sap contaminated with bat excreta.
The epicenter of the current outbreak, Maruthonkara village, is situated near a 300-acre forest inhabited by various bat species. During the 2018 Nipah outbreak, fruit bats from the same area tested positive for the virus.
Kerala's first Nipah outbreak in 2018 claimed the lives of 21 out of 23 infected individuals. Subsequent outbreaks in 2019 and 2021 resulted in two fatalities. An investigative report by Reuters in May raised concerns, identifying certain areas in Kerala as high-risk zones for the emergence of bat-borne viruses. This risk has increased due to extensive deforestation and urbanization, which have brought humans and wildlife into closer proximity.
Nipah virus is zoonotic, capable of transmission from infected animals or contaminated food to humans, and subsequently from one infected person to another. Symptoms include fever, headache, cough, difficulty in breathing, and vomiting, with severe cases potentially leading to brain swelling and eventual brain death. The situation remains fluid as health authorities continue their efforts to contain and manage the outbreak.
