Nipah has been the major concern revolving in Kerala. With the death of around 11 people, the virus is now affecting the tourism industry as well. What could be the reason for this outbreak which has triggered the state of Kerala?
The recent studies state that the main reason could be the loss of natural habitat of bats. The natural host of the virus is fruit bats of the Pteropodidadae family.
Climate Change and Nipah
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), there is a strong evidence that emergence of Nipah Virus (NiV) can be transferable to animals and humans which is due to the loss of natural habitat of the bats.
The habitat loss and climate change affect the food sources and nutrients of the fruit bats. This happens due to deforestation resulting in migration of bats to cities in search of food.
The virus was first identified in Malaysia in 1998. According to the reports from The Hindu, the worst affected areas were with maximum deforestation. In addition, Rohit Chakravarthy who studies bats in India said as forests are getting fragmented hungry bats are coming closer to human habitation. It is the main cause of transmission of disease.
Professor Ramanan Laxminarayan of Centre for Disease Dynamics, Economics and Policy said:
Bats and humans share a lot of common diseases. And another species that share common disease with humans are pigs. In the first instance, the disease travels from bats to pigs and pigs become the intermediate source carrying the disease to us
In a study conducted in Thailand, it was found that the period between January to June is most vulnerable months for Nipah outbreak. However, the first Nipah outbreak in India was during the winter in 2001 as well as in Bangladesh in 2004. The cause of the disease was the fresh date palm. The fruit bats relayed on fresh date palms for food. Correspondingly, the disease transmitted to human beings.
In 2004 Nipah Virus had broken out in West Bengal, Siliguri which infected 65 people. The WHO found that human to human transmission also happens. Around 33 health workers were infected due to direct contact with the patients. The same happened with 28-year-old nurse Lini in Kerala while treating a patient.
Nipah Striking Fear Among The People
The outbreak has caused terrible fear among the people in Kerala. People have started covering their wells with a net in order to protect their source of water from bats. According to doctors, one should maintain two meters distance from the affected person. The symptoms of the disease are severe headaches and fever.
The virus affects both respiratory and neurological systems. In the recent outbreak, 75% infected in the lungs. The patient may go breathless and may progress to severe oxygen hunger. This makes the patient slip into a coma. The disease is prone to high death rates and survivors can have long-term neurological issues as well. Moreover, the neurological issues cause a seizure disorder or a personality change among the patients. As of now, there is no cure for the virus other than proper care for the patient. The patients require respiratory support.