Nipah Virus – Recent outbreak

With the recent outbreak of Nipah virus in Kerala, South India, fear is spreading throughout Kerala regarding this infectious fever. Everyone went into panic mode when Nipah was confirmed in the patient recently.

What stuck me was the long wait for the test to be confirmed by Pune National Institute of Virology. When delving deep, I found that BSL (biosafety level) 3 or 4 classified labs only were allowed to handle such dangerous pathogens. Pune Lab is classified as BSL -4. This was news to me. The tests done to confirm the infection is ELISA and RT-PCR using bodily fluids and blood.

Nipah virus comes under the category of virus which causes hemorrhagic fevers. In ICD-10-CM the code for Nipah is A98.8 – (other specified viral hemorrhagic fevers). Also there is no vaccine for Nipah infection yet. This is a zoonotic virus transmitted from (animals to humans) and can also be transmitted through contaminated food or directly between humans. Symptoms range from asymptomatic infection to acute respiratory illness and also fatal encephalitis.

The method used to contain the spread of infection is quarantining the patients and the infected animals. Symptomatic and supportive treatment will be given to patients. WHO Research and Development team is working rapidly to find a vaccine on a priority basis.

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