Nipah virus: warning from the Sindh government
KARACHI: The hazardous ‘Nipah’ virus, which has infected multiple people in India, may be spreading, according to a warning from the Sindh Health Department.
In a letter distributed by Sindh’s director of health to hospitals around the state, the medical superintendents, directors, and livestock departments were admonished to use prudence.
The Nipah virus is known to spread swiftly from animals to humans and vice versa. The virus’s symptoms, which can include fever, headaches, body aches, and in severe cases, coma, are also listed in the warning.
When pig farmers in Malaysia and Singapore began to become ill, the Nipah virus was first discovered. Through direct contact with the body fluids of infected bats and pigs, it can infect humans. There have been some reported cases of transmission among humans.
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Nipah is thought to have been present in flying foxes for a very long time, and scientists worry that bats will eventually produce a modified strain that is very contagious. The infection has a death rate of around 70% and no vaccinations exist to treat or prevent it. The standard course of treatment is to offer supportive care.
