‘Extremely high’: Mortality rate of 40-70% in Nipah virus cases, says ICMR DG

The mortality rate among people infected with the Nipah virus is “extremely high” between 40 to 70 per cent compared to COVID-19, said ICMR DG Rajiv Bahl as cases in Kerala mount to six, with one more person testing positive on Friday.

“If COVID was 2-3 per cent, mortality in Nipah virus is 40-70 per cent. Mortality is extremely high,” Bahl said.

‘All infected came in contact of one index patient’

Bhal further said the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) “do not know why Nipah cases keep surfacing in Kerala.”

“In 2018, we found the outbreak in Kerala was related to bats. We are not sure how the infection passed from Bats to humans. The link couldn’t be established. Again we are trying to find out this time. It always happens in the rainy season,” Bahl said.

“Efforts are on to contain Nipah outbreak… To my understanding, most of the cases of Nipah virus in Kerala and contacts of one index patient so far,” the ICMR DG said.

How to prevent spread of Nipah virus?

Speaking to the media, Bahl said there are four to five measures, some of them exactly the same as those taken against COVID to restrict the spread of Nipah virus. These also include repeated hand washing, masks.

Nipah virus can also spread through droplets from an infected person, he said.

“In this case, the most important is the contact with the human patient because most of the times the first patient gets it from somewhere and the others are contacts of that patient…The third most important thing is staying away or not getting exposed to body fluids, blood. So safety - biosafety, hospital safety, isolation.”

‘Sought 20 more doses of monoclonal antibody’

The ICMR head said there are monoclonal antibody doses for only 10 patients at present. “No one so far has been administered,” he added.

Bahl further stated that India will procure 20 more doses of monoclonal antibody from Australia for the treatment of Nipah virus infection.

“We got some doses of monoclonal antibody from Australia in 2018. Currently, the doses are available for only 10 patients,” he said.

“Twenty more doses are being procured. But the medicine needs to be given during the early stage of the infection,” he said.

Bahl also informed that monoclonal antibody has been given to 14 patients infected with Nipah virus outside India and all of them have survived.

“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 added.