Nipah virus (NiV) is a zoonotic virus that can spread from animals to humans. It is a serious and often fatal disease that can cause encephalitis, a brain infection.
India has recorded two deaths from the rare Nipah virus in the state of Kerala,
The symptoms of Nipah virus infection can vary from person to person, but they usually start with fever, headache, and respiratory symptoms such as cough and sore throat.
Risk Factors of Nipah infection include coming in close contact with infected animals such as bats, pigs or humans infected with the virus.
Avoid contact with bats and their droppings, do not drink unprocessed date palm sap, wash your hands frequently with soap and water, avoid contact with sick people.
There is no approved vaccine for the Nipah virus (NiV) yet.
Survivors of Nipah virus may result in some neurological problems such as seizures. They may even experience some personality changes.
NiV has been a major cause of encephalitis outbreaks with high mortality, primarily in the Indo-Bangladesh regions.