What is the Nipah virus

  • Leader
    September 19, 2023 7:16 PM CDT
    In case this news of this very dangerous virus has been tucked away and hidden in your news feed, I thought I should bring this up about the Nipah virus, what it is, and why it's more dangerous than Covid. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/sep/18/what-is-nipah-virus-kerala-india-bat-borne-outbreak-mass-testing

    Nipah is a rare but serious bat-borne virus that can cause fever, vomiting and respiratory infections in humans. Severe cases can involve seizures and encephalitis – inflammation of the brain –and result in a coma.

    The virus has a fatality rate between 40-75%, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). It has no known vaccine, and the usual treatment is to provide supportive care.

    The first of the Nipah virus was in 1988. If this virus is not contained this time, it could be a very deadly pandemic, to wit the WHO has recognized as a very deadly virus which requires the strictest of containment.

    More than 600 cases of Nipah virus human infections were reported between 1998 to 2015, according to WHO data.

    Two early outbreaks in India killed more than 50 people before they were brought under control.