The world trembles at the Nipah virus. It is more deadly than the coronavirus [NEW PANDEMIC?]

The Nipah virus hits a person instantly – it attacks the lungs, making it impossible to breathe freely, and the brain, causing it to become inflamed and swollen. World Health Organization experts confirm that Nipah has a dangerous pandemic potential and is extremely deadly.

1. Several cases of the Nipah virus were detected in the Indian state of Kerala in the fall of 2021. His victim was a 12-year-old boy who died shortly after being infected
2. In the last ten years, the presence of Nipah has also been confirmed in China and Bangladesh, where 11 outbreaks have been registered
3. The victims of the Nipah virus were pig farmers and people employed in the processing and trade of these animals’ meat. A reservoir of viruses are bats called “flying foxes”
4. Nipah virus is on the WHO list as one of the most dangerous pathogens in the world. It is believed to have pandemic potential
5. Check your health. Just answer these questions
6. More information can be found on the Onet homepage

The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus pandemic is still ongoing, and there are no signs that it will end soon. Ba! Scientists predict that the disease will stay with us forever.

And not only have we not dealt with COVID-19, we are also faced with a probable vision of a new virus attack.

1. Check your immunity. Buy a pack of six blood tests

We are talking about Nipah – a dangerous virus that causes, among other things, encephalitis. And while Nipah is not new to the world of science – it first appeared in 1998 – there is understandable concern that several cases of the virus were detected in the Indian state of Kerala a few months ago. Nipah has long been on the World Health Organization’s list of the most dangerous pathogens with pandemic potential.

1. See also: Scientists warn of the Nipah virus. It could trigger a new, even worse pandemic

Further part below the video.

Nipah virus. Will there be a new epidemic?

Among other things, the virus was detected in a 12-year-old boy who died shortly after being infected. Subsequently, two medical staff also tested positive for Nipah. It is not known exactly how many people had contact with the sick boy.

And the new epidemic may be particularly dangerous for India, as the country is still struggling with the coronavirus – over half a million inhabitants have died from COVID-19. There are fears that the new Nipah virus epidemic will spread all over India and then spread worldwide. Recall: the coronavirus epidemic began in November 2019 in the city of Wuhan, and in March 2020 it was recognized by the World Health Organization as a pandemic.

The Nipah virus is not new

The Nipah virus is not new to the world of science as it first appeared in one of Malaysia’s northern districts more than 20 years ago. Then, from 1998 to 1999, there were 256 cases of the disease caused by it. Then 92 percent died. infected people.

Soon, new cases of the disease also emerged in Australia and Singapore as a result of human consumption of contaminated date palm juice.

According to information published by the BBC, the presence of the virus has also been confirmed in China and Bangladesh in the last ten years. In the latter country, 2001 outbreaks of Nipah disease were registered between 2011 and 11. Its victims were pig breeders and people employed in the processing and trade of pig meat.

The Nipah virus has a serious pandemic potential

World Health Organization WHO experts confirm that the Nipha virus has a dangerous pandemic potential and is extremely deadly. Where did it come from at all?

Research on rabies, and especially on pig and human diseases caused by Nipah viruses, has shown that the reservoir of these zoonotic, or zoonotic, viruses is representatives of one of the species of fruit-eating bats known as “flying foxes” or “flying dogs”. Red-tailed bats – this is the name of the species – live in trees near bazaars and feed on food for sale.

The name of the virus, on the other hand, comes from the name of the village of Sungai Nipah, where the first patient infected with the Nipah virus died.

Nipah belongs to the paramyxovirus family, the same viruses that cause diseases such as mumps and rubella. When the virus (excreted in the urine and saliva of bats contaminates food) attacks pigs, it causes pneumonia and meningitis in the animals.

In Malaysia, Nipah turned out to be very contagious and caused these animals a terrible cough, audible from over a kilometer away. In the end, Malaysian authorities ordered the mass slaughter of pigs on infected farms, and over a million of these animals were put under the knife.

The Nipah virus is also dangerous for dogs, horses, goats and sheep – it causes a syndrome resembling distemper in them. In herds, the infection spreads through contact of healthy animals with sick animals through the digestive tract or through the respiratory system. Cats and small rodents are also expected to play a role in spreading the virus.

The source of infection for humans is direct contact with sick pigs and their meat, and with fruit contaminated with saliva, urine or faeces of infected bats.

Nipah more deadly than the coronavirus

According to WHO, the Nipah virus is much more deadly to humans than the coronavirus – it causes death in almost 75 percent. infected people. Only six out of 23 patients survived the last virus attack in the Indian state of Kerala.

Nipah hits you instantly – it attacks your lungs, preventing you from breathing freely, and your brain, causing it to become inflamed and swollen. In a milder course of the disease, however, there are fever, headaches, vomiting, sore throat, muscle soreness, and drowsiness, and disturbance in orientation and consciousness. The disease is associated with chronic neurological complications in the form of personality disorders, recurrent seizures or post-infectious chronic encephalomyelitis.

As with the coronavirus, there are times when a person infected with Nipah does not have any symptoms. Symptoms of infection usually appear between days 4 and 14, but worryingly, the virus can incubate for extremely long periods – up to 45 days according to the WHO. Infection with Nipah virus can also be latent and reactivate many years after exposure to it.

Laboratory tests are necessary to confirm infection with Nipah virus. The material for laboratory tests may be blood, cerebrospinal fluid, urine or swabs from the nose and throat.

There is no cure or vaccine for the Nipah virus

So far, no drug with proven efficacy against the Nipah virus has been developed, although it is already known that it spreads more slowly than the coronavirus.

Prevention of virus infections is primarily based on avoiding exposure to the virus, i.e. contact with animals that can potentially transmit the virus, and not consuming raw palm tree sap in areas of endemic disease. Vaccination is not available – research is currently underway to develop a vaccine.

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