Man suspected of Nipah is hospitalized in Kerala : Here’s the symptoms and preventive measures
Ernakulam : A 23-year-old man, admitted in a private hospital in Kerala’s Ernkaulam, is suspected to have been infected with the Nipah virus but a final confirmation is awaited from the National Institute of Virology in Pune, the state government said today.
“We have sent the tests for confirmation to National Institute of Virology. The preliminary tests have shown some peculiar results, but we are waiting for the final results, which are expected before tomorrow morning.” Kerala Health Minister KK Shailaja told reporters .
He studies in a college in Thodupuzha in Idukki and had stayed in Thrissur recently. The district and medical heads have sprung into action in both Ernankulam and Thrissur districts.
The student was in Thrissur only for four days and had been suffering from fever. There were 16 other students with him and six of them, who came in direct contact with him, are under observation.
Preventive measures
Avoid visiting the endemic area.
Avoid fruits that are fallen off from the trees.
Maintain absolute general hygiene, wash your hands frequently.
Maintain quarantine from the infected individual.
Avoid sap of raw date palms.
Handle and prepare food safely.
Avoid drinks made near the palm trees.
Stay home if you are sick.
Avoid direct contact with bats or pigs in the epidemic areas.
Ensure distance from the dead; avoid kissing or hugging the person who died of Nipah infection.
Symptoms
It has an incubation period of 4 to 18 days, so the symptoms may show up in 3 to 14 days after contacting Nipah virus. The virus infection has a fatality risk of 9 – 75%.
Fever
Headache
Dizziness
Disorientation
Stomach pain and vomiting
Muscle pain
Mental confusion
Convulsions
Respiratory symptoms quite similar to that of influenza, such as cough.
The virus passes through the blood-brain barrier and is found in the brain and spinal fluids of the patients. Infected patients may show encephalitis and brainstem dysfunction which may cause serious symptoms related to central nervous system resulting in coma and death.
