Two instances of Nipah virus, a rare pathogen transmitted by bats that served as the inspiration for the movie Contagion, have been verified at a medical facility in India, with one patient in critical condition. This deadly infection can lead to brain swelling and fatalities, posing a significant threat.
The virus spreads to humans through contact with the bodily fluids of infected bats, pigs, or individuals, and there is currently no available vaccine. These cases have prompted a nationwide alert, with local residents placed under quarantine. The affected individuals, both nurses at Narayana Multispeciality Hospital in Barasat, West Bengal, located 16 miles from Kolkata, have raised concerns about potential undetected spread of the disease.
According to Mr. Narayan Swaroop Nigam, Principal Secretary of the Health and Family Welfare Department in West Bengal, “Two nurses at a private hospital have contracted the Nipah virus, with one in critical condition.”
The two nurses had worked together from December 28 to 30, experiencing high fevers and respiratory distress before being admitted to the hospital’s intensive care unit on January 4, with one of them in a coma.
Authorities suspect that the nurses contracted the virus while treating a patient who later died without being tested, but exhibited severe respiratory symptoms. Contact tracing efforts are underway to identify individuals who interacted with the nurses and the deceased patient, with 180 people tested and 20 high-risk contacts placed in quarantine.
“All tested contacts are currently asymptomatic and negative. They will undergo additional testing before the completion of their 21-day quarantine period,” Mr. Nigam stated. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in India has issued a nationwide alert, urging officials to implement preventive measures such as surveillance to contain any potential further spread.
Nipah has been classified as a critical research priority by the World Health Organization due to its potential to trigger a global health emergency.
With a fatality rate of up to 85%, the virus initially presents symptoms like fever, headaches, pain, vomiting, and sore throat, progressing to severe brain inflammation. Transmission occurs through contact with infected animals such as bats or pigs, contaminated food sources, or direct person-to-person contact.
Oxford University is currently conducting phase one trials of a Nipah vaccine following promising initial results.
Experts have cautioned about the escalating risk of Nipah virus outbreaks as human interaction with fruit bats increases, especially as these bats move into densely populated areas. Initially discovered during an outbreak among pig farmers in Malaysia in 1999, the Nipah virus has remained a persistent threat ever since.
First emerging in Bangladesh in 2001, the disease has ominously resurfaced almost annually since then. Furthermore, evidence of this lethal pathogen has been detected in fruit bat populations across various countries, ranging from Cambodia to Thailand.