Nipah scare in Kerala: What we know about the strain and the vaccines

The Nipah virus outbreak continues to remain a matter of concern in Kerala. The contact list of infected people currently includes 1,080 people, with 130 additional entries on 15 September, according to an update from Health Minister Veena George. 327 of them are healthcare workers. Here’s all you need to know about the Nipah strain and its vaccines. Also read: Proactive detection, containment zones, & more: What Kerala is doing to control spread of Nipah virus About the Nipah strain Nipah virus (NiV) is a highly pathogenic virus that kills people by causing deadly encephalitis (brain swelling) and severe respiratory distress. Livemint claims that the strain that causes brain damage is a Bangladesh variant that spreads among people. It is characterised by high fatality rate despite lesser infectivity. The virus has a fatality rate of up to 75 per cent among those infected and spreads through contact with the bodily fluids of infected bats, pigs, or people. According to the Hindustan Times, Nipah has three genotypes: the Malaysia M, Bangladesh B, and India I genotypes. [caption id=“attachment_13131742” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Health workers collect clinical samples and investigate the home of a Nipah virus victim, in Kozhikode. PTI[/caption] Two genotypes, India I and Bangladesh B, are frequently seen in India. Fever, headaches, muscle discomfort, vomiting, and sore throat are the first signs of infection in humans. “This can be followed by dizziness, drowsiness, altered consciousness, and neurological signs that indicate acute encephalitis. Some people can also experience atypical pneumonia and severe respiratory problems, including acute respiratory distress,” says the World Health Organization website. Patients can, however, also be asymptomatic. Also read: Nipah virus in Kerala: Why is the state susceptible to repeated outbreaks? Vaccines The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has said that it plans to start developing a vaccine against the viral disease, reported India Times. There is currently no treatment or protective vaccine against the fatal virus, which has only been detected in two Indian states so far in close to two decades - West Bengal (2001, 2007) and Kerala (2018, 2019, 2021, and 2023). According to IMCR DG Rajeev Bahl, the process for commencing work on new vaccines entails seeking partners who can create it as well as the platform it will be developed. “Our biggest asset at the moment is that we have developed vaccines on diverse platforms during COVID-19, such as DNA vaccine, mRNA vaccine, adenoviral vector vaccine, protein subunit vaccine, and nasal vaccine, and we can use these diverse platforms to develop the new vaccine against disease such as Nipah infection,” he said. Current treatment Those who tested positive for the brain-damaging virus are already receiving symptomatic care. A monoclonal antibody is the only other medication that has demonstrated any potential in the fight against the Nipah virus. 20 additional doses of monoclonal antibody will be purchased by India from Australia. “We got some doses of monoclonal antibody from Australia in 2018. Currently, the doses are available for only 10 patients,” Bahl said, adding that globally, monoclonal antibody has been given to 14 patients infected with the Nipah virus outside India, and all of them have survived. Monoclonal antibody yet to be administered “Only phase 1 trial to establish the safety of the medicine has been done outside. Efficacy trials have not been done. It can only be given as compassionate use medicine,” he said. He claims that no one has yet received the medication in India. “Twenty more doses are being procured. But the medicine needs to be given during the early stage of infection,” he said. However, the decision to use the antibody has to be of the Kerala government, besides that of doctors and patients’ families. As much as 40 to 70 per cent of people who contract the Nipah virus die as a result of their sickness. Also read: Nipah virus kills two in Kerala: Why does disease plague state? Schools and colleges shut All educational institutions, including schools, professional colleges, and tutoring centres, will be closed for a week until next Sunday, 24 September, the Kozhikode government has declared as a precaution. We’ll guarantee online classes. The health department will receive the report from the medical board, which will convene twice daily at all hospitals treating Nipah patients. The infection spread from one patient Although fruit bats were to blame for Kerala’s 2018 outbreak, it is still unknown why the state saw recurrent illnesses in 2019, 2021, and 2023. This year, Kerala has recorded six incidents, of which two have resulted in fatalities. One patient, a 49-year-old male who passed away on August 30 from what was believed to be multiple organ failure, was the cause of the outbreak, according to specialists. Two of the four people who have tested positive so far are his children, and one is his brother-in-law. The second person to die from the virus had contact with him while they were both patients at the hospital. The sixth individual to test positive is a healthcare professional who works at the hospital where the deceased patient had received treatment. With inputs from agencies