The southern Indian state of Kerala, which is battling the highest number of Covid-19 cases in the country, is now fighting another virus simultaneously. The authorities in the state are racing to contain an outbreak of the Nipah virus.
The virus, which is not related to the Covid-19, is far more deadly, and it killed a 12-year-old boy in Kerala over the weekend.
The Nipah virus has been shown to infect humans directly from animals. It was first identified in 1999. The list of Nipah virus hosts includes pigs, fruit bats, goats, sheep, cats, and horses. These are natural, especially in fruit bats.
So far, there is no cure for the Nipah virus. No approved drug has been made available or made. In addition, the patient is being treated only for symptoms. The use of monoclonal antibodies therapy is under consideration. CEPI has experimentally tested several antiviral drugs for use on Nipah. They showed good results only in animals.
The Nipah virus has been found in many countries around the world. It still infects people in Malaysia, India, Singapore and Bangladesh. At the same time, the virus has been found in bats in Cambodia, Indonesia, Madagascar, Thailand and Timor. Between January and February 2001, 86 Nipah cases were reported in India. Three out of every four people infected die.