The health authorities of the state of West Bengalin Indiaconfirmed five cases of contagion from the Nipah virusa pathogen that the World Health Organization (WHO) is considered an absolute priority due to its high lethality, which can range between 40% and 75%, depending on the capacity for epidemiological surveillance and clinical care in each outbreak.
Among the infected people are a doctor, a nurse and another health sector worker. According to Narayan Swaroop Nigam, principal secretary of the Department of Health and Family state, one of the nurses remains in critical condition, after she and another colleague developed a high fever and breathing difficulties between New Year’s Eve and January 2.
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Authorities have tracked down 180 people who had contact with the confirmed patients and are keeping 20 high-risk contacts in quarantine, including family members and co-workers, as part of the measures to prevent further spread.
The Nipah virus is a zoonotic diseasewhich is primarily transmitted from animals to humans, although it can also spread from person to person or through consumption of contaminated food, according to the WHO. It was first identified in 1999 in Malaysia, during an outbreak among pig farmers, and since 2001 there have been almost annual outbreaks in Bangladeshin addition to sporadic cases in India.
The infection may be asymptomatic or cause respiratory disease acute and life-threatening encephalitis. The first symptoms usually resemble those of the flu and include:
- Fever
- Vomiting
- Sore throat
- Dizziness
- Sleepiness
- Alteration of consciousness
- Neurological signs
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In the most severe cases, the disease can lead to seizures and eat within 24 to 48 hours.
According to the WHO, the incubation period usually ranges between 4 and 14 days, although cases of up to 45 days have been documented. Although the majority of patients who overcome acute encephalitis make a complete recovery, about 20% present neurological sequelae, such as seizures or personality changes, and in some cases late relapses have been reported.
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