Nipah Virus

In pigs it causes a relatively mild disease, but nearly 300 human cases were reported with over 100 deaths. The outbreak among humans occurred also between 1998 and 1999 and appeared to be encephalitis and a respiratory illness. The outbreak was contained in Malaysia and Singapore and no further cases have been reported since then in this region. However, in 2001 an outbreak occurred in Bangladesh and Siliguri, India. In India nosocomial transmissions were in hospital settings reported. Since 2001 several outbreaks of NiV have been reported in Bangladesh and India.

And the virus itself? The name Nipah Virus comes from Sungai Nipah, a village in the Malaysian Peninsula. In this village, the pig farmers became ill with encephalitis. The local fruit bats (genus Pteropus) were identified as an potential reservoir for NiV, and other bat species have been singled out for investigation. NiV is a member of the family Paramyxoviridae, genus Henipavirus.

How is the virus spread ? Nipah is transmitted by bats to people (at least in Bangladesh). Raw date palm sap is contaminated by bats, which like to feed on the sweet sap. Farmers growing date palms who get into contact with the sap or people consuming this sap may get infected. Other ways for transmission are through infection of domestic animals ( cattle , pigs , and goats ), presumably from consumption of food contaminated with bat saliva or urine, with subsequent transmission to people. Nosocomial infection, i. e. from person-to-person, can occur.

What are the symptoms caused of Nipah Virus? The incubation period of Nipah virus is estimated to last 5–14 days, although incubation periods as long as 45 days have also been reported. The illness presents within 3–14 days with fever and headache, drowsiness , disorientation and mental confusion. It can lead to coma within 24–48 hours. Some people develop respiratory illness during this early infection phase, some people show neurological signs and even pulmonary problems. The infection is associated with encephalitis. About 40 % of the patients who have serious nervous disease die from the illness. The infection can also be asymptomatic.

How is the Nipah Virus disease diagnosed? Nipah virus diagnosis can only be confirmed by laboratory testing during the acute and convalescent phases of the disease by using a combination of tests (virus isolation and RT-PCR from throat, nasal swabs, cerebrospinal fluid, urine, and blood). Also an ELISA can be used or immunohistochemistry on tissue collected during autopsy .

People who have recently traveled and show some of the above symptoms should tell their physician or healthcare provider when and where they traveled.

What prevention is possible in endemic areas? People can be protected, when they don’t consume fresh palm sap. Measures should be taken to make palm sap consumption safer, e.g. the sap should be cooked at temperatures above the level the NiV can survive and all bat access to date palms should be restricted. Person-to-person contact with infected patients saliva should be avoided.

It is also very important is to reduce exposure of caretakers to the saliva of seriously ill people. Family members should at least wash their hands with soap after caring for Nipah patients or disinfect them if possible. Such infection control really lessens nosocomial transmission of NiV.

Is there a treatment or vaccine for the Nipah Virus disease? There is no treatment or vaccine available for either humans nor animals.

Standard infection control and proper nursing techniques are important in preventing nosocomial transmission. One drug, ribavirin has already been effective against the virus in vitro, but the clinical usefulness is still uncertain. Passive immunization has been evaluated and found to be effective. But there is no active immunization available.

BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. http://dict.leo.org. 2. www.dict.cc. 3. www.webster-dictionary.org. 4. www.who.int. 5. www.rki.de.

EXERCISE: 1. Where was the Nipah Virus first identified? a. in cattles b. in bats c. in flying foxes d. in pigs

2. How long is the incubation period of the Nipah Virus? a. till 45 days b. 5–14 days c. 10 days

3. Where do people mostly infect themselves? a. drinking fresh palm sap b. eating pig meat c. eating date fruits

You’ll find the answer on: http://tinyurl.com/weiterbildung-englisch

Die Autorin: Carmen Lobitz Carmen Lobitz ist freie Trainerin, Lehrerin und MTA. Sie gründete 1998 in Berlin lobitz seminare, die unter anderem Englischseminare für Health Professionals anbieten. Kontakt: mail@lobitz-seminare.de, www.lobitz-seminare.de

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Lösung für Exercise: Answer: 1. d Answer: 2. a + b Answer: 3. a

Nipah Virus

And the virus itself?

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