13 Sep Nipah Virus
This article covers “Daily Current Affairs” and the Topic details “Nipah Virus”. This Topic has relevance in the Science and Technology section of the UPSC CSE exam.
For Prelims:
About the Nipah Virus?
Natural Animal Host Reservoir?
Spread and Mortality Potential?
Why in the news
The viral disease, Nipah infection, has resurfaced in Kerala, with two individuals in Kozhikode district confirmed to have succumbed to the disease.
About the Nipah Virus:
- Nipah virus is a zoonotic disease, i.e., it is transmitted to humans through infected animals or contaminated food.
- Person-to-person transmission can also occur through close contact with infected individuals.
- Symptoms include fever, headache, cough, sore throat, breathing difficulties, and vomiting.
- Severe cases may lead to disorientation, drowsiness, seizures, encephalitis, coma, and death.
Natural Animal Host Reservoir
- Fruit bats, commonly known as flying foxes, serve as the primary reservoir for the Nipah virus. These bats transmit the virus to animals such as pigs, dogs, cats, goats, horses, and sheep.
- Human infection mainly results from direct contact with these animals or consumption of food contaminated by their saliva or urine.
Outbreaks in South and Southeast Asia
- Outbreaks have occurred in South and Southeast Asian countries since its identification in 1998-99.
- Bangladesh has experienced at least 10 outbreaks since 2001.
- India has witnessed outbreaks in West Bengal (2001, 2007) and Kerala (2018, 2019, 2021).
Nipah Virus Spread and Mortality
- It spreads more slowly than COVID-19 but has a higher mortality rate.
- Mortality rates in past outbreaks have ranged from 68% to 100%.
- During the 2018 Kerala outbreak, 17 out of 18 confirmed patients died.
- All outbreaks so far have been localized and contained relatively quickly.
- A study observed that the reproductive number (R0) was approximately 0.48 during previous outbreaks. The R-value serves as an indicator of the virus’s rate of spread within the population. When this value is less than one, it implies that less than one person is getting infected by an already infected individual. In such circumstances, the outbreak is anticipated to subside relatively rapidly.
plutus ias current affairs eng med 13th Sep 2023
Q.1 Which of the following statements regarding the Nipah virus is/are correct?
- Nipah virus can only be transmitted to humans through infected animals.
- The reproductive number (R0) for the Nipah is greater than that of SARS-COV-2.
Options:
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Q.2 Which of the following statements regarding the Nipah virus is/are correct?
- Recently, there was an outbreak in North Indian states
- Natural hosts for the Virus are Wild Pigs.
Options:
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Q.3 Zoonotic diseases have emerged as a significant global health concern, with implications for human and animal populations. Discuss taking into account the One Health approach.
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