- According to the WHO, the first cases of this disease occurred in 1998 in Asia.
- There is still no vaccine and infected people can develop discomfort such as dizziness, drowsiness, altered consciousness and even acute encephalitis.
- So far, outbreaks and deaths caused by the Nipah virus have only been reported in 3 countries in the world.
The list of diseases is endless and even more appear permanently throughout the world. A special case occurs with the Nipah virus because although the death toll that it has caused is relatively low, it is thought that if an outbreak spreads it could cause a large-scale problem.
What is a pandemic?
To begin, it is necessary to remember the basic definition of a pandemic. It is used to describe any disease that spreads to many countries or that attacks almost all individuals in a specific locality or region.
The most recent case occurred with the Covid-19 because the first cases occurred at the end of 2019 in China. Although in a matter of weeks the outbreak spread to the rest of the world and caused the most serious health emergency of the last century.
Another recent example can be seen with the monkeypoxwhich was later named MPOX. The first human cases occurred during the 1970s although for many years it was an endemic disease in Africa.
It was at the beginning of 2022 when a large number of infections were reported in Europe and in a matter of weeks they spread to other regions such as America and Asia. With this in mind, on July 23 of the same year the WHO classified the disease as a international public health emergency.
Nipah virus, what is it and how many deaths has it caused?
Now is the time to talk about a disease that has caused a worrying outbreak in recent days. Its about Nipah virus and in the city of Kerala alone in India it has left at least a dozen cases and two deaths.
Nipah Virus could cause the worst pandemic in history for these reasons
Based on the medical literature, this pathogen first appeared in 1998 in Malaysia. What is known is that it is zoonotic, although some human-to-human cases have also been identified and also through the consumption of contaminated food.
In accordance with Statista, the current is the fourth outbreak of the disease in Kerala in six years. The previous ones claimed the lives of 21, 1 and no people in 2018, 2019 and 2021, respectively.
Based on official information, during the first outbreak of Nipah virus occurred in Malaysia It caused 105 deaths. Although no other cases have been detected in that nation since then.
The second nation affected is Bangladesh because it has experienced several outbreaks since 2001. Official reports indicate a total of 237 fatalities so far. While the third country with the presence of this disease is India. So far there are 74 deaths, although there is an active outbreak that could leave more cases in the following weeks.
What are the symptoms of Nipah virus?
Human infection can be asymptomatic or cause acute respiratory illness (mild or severe) or fatal encephalitis. Infected people initially present flu-like symptoms (fever, headaches, myalgias, vomiting and sore throat).
Nipah virus, what is it and what are the symptoms it causes?
If the condition progresses in intensity, dizziness, drowsiness, altered consciousness and neurological signs that indicate acute encephalitis may occur. Some people may also suffer from atypical pneumonia and serious breathing problems, such as acute breathlessness. In severe cases, encephalitis and seizures appear, progressing to coma in 24 to 48 hours.
Most people who survive acute encephalitis make a full recovery, but chronic neurological conditions have been described in survivors. Approximately 20% of patients are left with residual neurological sequelae, such as seizures and personality changes.
Also read:
From Covid-19 to MPOX (Monkeypox)
Nipah virus, what is it and what are the symptoms it causes?
Nipah Virus could cause the worst pandemic in history for these reasons