Schools were closed, hundreds of tests were carried out and seven villages were declared “contaminated area”.

Facing the risk of an epidemic related to the Nipah virus threatening the state of Kerala, in southern India, the local government decided to react quickly and decisively. And for good reason.

Two people have died, but most importantly, it is the nature of the virus that is worrying, because it does not exist “There is no vaccine against it, American media reported CNN, and treatment is limited to eliminating symptoms.”

Providing further details, Al Jazeera describe A “zoonotic viruses”, meaning which one was first transmitted from animals to humans.

“In this case, it's a species of fruit bat Pteropus which serves as a reservoir for viruses. This disease is transmitted via bats, pigs, or directly from human to human. After initial contamination by animals, humans can then transmit the virus to each other.”

“40 to 75% death rate”

From now on, the consequences for humanity could be very serious, Qatari media further detailed, because:

“In humans, the clinical picture can range from asymptomatic infection to respiratory infection (mild or acute), or even encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) which can lead to coma within twenty-four to forty-eight hours. This virus has a fatality rate ranging from 40 to 75%. Although some patients with acute encephalitis recover completely, others experience long-lasting neurologic sequelae, including seizure disorders or personality changes.”

“Not fear, but be careful”

To avoid these dangerous consequences, hundreds of people are being tested in Kerala, which has experienced four Nipah virus-related epidemics since the first, in 2018. That year, 21 people died.

Apart from human losses, the spread of the Nipah virus can also have an economic impact, because as shown by the Al-Jazeera website, “In 1999, the first known epidemic occurred in Malaysia and Singapore resulting in the slaughter of more than one million pigs.”

This is another reason why the Chief Minister of Kerala State, Pinarayi Vijayan, wants to remind his citizens, reports the CNN website: “We don't need to be afraid, but we must approach this situation carefully.”