Key facts about Nipah virus, and how to prevent it

New Delhi: Simple good hygiene practices such as frequent hand washing and cooking food properly before consuming can help you avoid contracting the brain-damaging Nipah virus, health experts suggest.

■ The Nipah virus is a zoonotic disease that is naturally transmitted from vertebrate animals to humans, while human-to-human transmission has also been documented.

■ First identified among pig farmers in Malaysia, the disease also surfaced in Siliguri, in India’s West Bengal state, in 2001 and again in 2007.

■ Historically, the virus had largely remained in a cluster, meaning it was mostly confined to an area, and affected those that came in close contact to the patients, experts say.

■ Nipah virus can be transmitted by infected pigs, or fruit bats, through their secretions of saliva, urine or faeces.

■ The other mode of transmission is human to human, through body secretions and respiratory secretions. Contracting Nipah causes an upper respiratory infection, leading to fever, bodyache, breathlessness and cough.

■ Depending upon the exposure to the virus, it can also proceed to further complication like Encephalitis — inflammation of the brain. This can result in mental confusion and deteriorate to coma.

■ While the incubation period is long for some, on an average in 90 per cent of cases, the disease manifests itself within two weeks of exposure to the virus.

■ Besides maintaining hygiene, experts suggest avoiding fruits that has any paw marks on it or is contaminated. Food should be properly cooked before consuming.

■ Restricting mobility to and from the affected areas can curtail the virus up to some extent.