What is the Nipah virus

Nipah virus is a bat-borne virus that causes Nipah virus infection, which can lead to death. Numerous disease outbreaks caused by Nipah virus have occurred in South and Southeast Asia.

This virus infection may show no symptoms or may cause fever, cough, headache, shortness of breath, confusion etc. The patient may become unconscious within a day or two. Complications such as brain infection and seizures may occur after recovery.Nipah virus is a type of RNA virus that belongs to the genus Henipavirus in the family Paramyxoviridae. The disease can be spread through direct contact with infected animals and humans. This disease is cured by treatment of this virus infection.

How to protect yourself from Nipah virus

Avoid date palm juice

This virus spreads from the juice of palm trees. Bats try to eat the juice from the pot tied to the tree and their saliva mixes with that juice. This virus can also spread among people by eating that juice. So try not to consume date palm juice as much as possible to get rid of this virus.

Do not eat half-eaten fruit

Nipah virus infection is often caused by eating half of the food. Many times, if you eat the ripe fruit of the bat tree, then the red of the bat gets mixed with the fruit and if a person eats that fruit, that person gets infected with this virus. Bats can spread from half-eaten fruit and from infected humans to humans. So avoid half-eaten fruits.

Paramyxovirus

Nipah virus is actually a type of paramyxovirus. Among the many paramyxoviruses, one of the most familiar paramyxoviruses is the measles virus. Researchers have found that Nipah virus is a paramyxovirus but it is a new type of virus and it is transmitted from animal to human.

Stay away from sick animals

Direct contact with sick animals and their contaminated tissues is the most common mode of transmission. All body fluids such as saliva, respiratory secretions, urine etc. can transmit the virus. Fruit and fruit-based products contaminated with saliva and urine of infected bats have been identified as potential sources of infection in past outbreaks.

Avoid crowded areas

If a person infected with Nipah virus comes in contact with another person, the other person is also infected from that infected person. A person can also be infected by direct contact with another person. So the person infected with this virus should always take care to avoid crowded areas.

Avoid pig waste

The virus is transmitted through direct contact with sick pigs or their contaminated organs. Infection is thought to occur through contaminated virus particles released with the pig’s throat or respiratory secretions. So stay away from sick pigs to get rid of this virus.

This virus can also spread through water

This virus is actually caused by waterborne transmission of the virus through contact with fresh water. This virus can also spread from the place where it came in contact with this virus. So you should always drink clean water.

Remedy through treatment

As it is a new type of virus, there is currently no specific vaccine or treatment for this disease. The only treatment for this disease should be intensive supportive care.

What to do if symptoms occur

Some of the very common symptoms of Nipah virus are headache, nausea, sleepiness, fever, and also prone to erratic behaviour when infected with this virus. Shortness of breath starts within a few days of infection. All these symptoms should be treated very quickly.

A blood test is required

The symptoms of this disease are fever, severe burning sensation in the brain, drowsiness, with severe difficulty in breathing. If someone is affected by such symptoms, then the person’s blood should be tested immediately. Within 24 to 48 hours of contracting the virus, the person may go into a coma.

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