Teh One Who Knocks
09-09-2021, 10:53 AM
By Ethan Blackshaw & Sam Elliott-Gibbs - The Daily Star
https://i.imgur.com/eVhhq3C.jpg
The race is on to contain an outbreak of the Nipah virus after a young Indian boy was killed by the illness that causes vomiting, seizures and brain swelling.
According to the World Heath Organisation, Nipah's mortality rate ranges between 40 and 75% compared to Covid's 1%.
Since February there have been concerns that it could cause the next worldwide pandemic, heightened by the fact that Nipah has a very high rate of mutation, reports the Mirror.
“The virus has been shown to spread from person-to-person in these outbreaks, raising concerns about the potential for NiV to cause a global pandemic,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
Officials in India's Kerala state are concerned after the 12-rear-old died at the weekend, prompting efforts to trace his contacts with new infections already confirmed.
According to reports, the boy had visited two other hospitals before he died, meaning he potentially came close to hundreds of people.
State health minister Veena George said: “That these eight immediate contacts tested negative is a great relief.”
https://i.imgur.com/1e4o6s3.jpg
The fruit bat-borne disease, which first jumped from pigs to farmers in Malaysia in 1999, causes vomiting, seizures and brain swelling. It also has an incubation period of up to 45 days, meaning a person could spread it for more than a month before falling sick.
There is no cure or vaccine for Nipah yet. Patients are only given supportive medical care.
https://i.imgur.com/t9DBaeU.jpg
Dr Melanie Saville, head of vaccine research and development at the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, told The Sun earlier this year that we need to be ready for "the big one", and that it was "extremely likely" another outbreak will happen in the future.
She said: "Nipah is one of the viruses that could absolutely be the cause of a new pandemic. Several things about Nipah are very concerning.
"Most crucially, we shouldn't just be looking at Nipah.
"We know that a future pandemic is inevitable, and there are many other emerging infectious diseases that are recognised as having pandemic potential."
Due to its dangerous potential, Nipah has reportedly been listed as one of 16 priority pathogens that need to be researched by the World Health Organisation.
https://i.imgur.com/eVhhq3C.jpg
The race is on to contain an outbreak of the Nipah virus after a young Indian boy was killed by the illness that causes vomiting, seizures and brain swelling.
According to the World Heath Organisation, Nipah's mortality rate ranges between 40 and 75% compared to Covid's 1%.
Since February there have been concerns that it could cause the next worldwide pandemic, heightened by the fact that Nipah has a very high rate of mutation, reports the Mirror.
“The virus has been shown to spread from person-to-person in these outbreaks, raising concerns about the potential for NiV to cause a global pandemic,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
Officials in India's Kerala state are concerned after the 12-rear-old died at the weekend, prompting efforts to trace his contacts with new infections already confirmed.
According to reports, the boy had visited two other hospitals before he died, meaning he potentially came close to hundreds of people.
State health minister Veena George said: “That these eight immediate contacts tested negative is a great relief.”
https://i.imgur.com/1e4o6s3.jpg
The fruit bat-borne disease, which first jumped from pigs to farmers in Malaysia in 1999, causes vomiting, seizures and brain swelling. It also has an incubation period of up to 45 days, meaning a person could spread it for more than a month before falling sick.
There is no cure or vaccine for Nipah yet. Patients are only given supportive medical care.
https://i.imgur.com/t9DBaeU.jpg
Dr Melanie Saville, head of vaccine research and development at the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, told The Sun earlier this year that we need to be ready for "the big one", and that it was "extremely likely" another outbreak will happen in the future.
She said: "Nipah is one of the viruses that could absolutely be the cause of a new pandemic. Several things about Nipah are very concerning.
"Most crucially, we shouldn't just be looking at Nipah.
"We know that a future pandemic is inevitable, and there are many other emerging infectious diseases that are recognised as having pandemic potential."
Due to its dangerous potential, Nipah has reportedly been listed as one of 16 priority pathogens that need to be researched by the World Health Organisation.