Dream - The photo is truly heartbreaking. A mother covers her face with a brown cloth that she uses as a headscarf. She cannot bear to see the photo of her child on her husband's phone, which he is showing off to the photographer. The child is only 12 years old. In September 2021, the child died from the Nipah virus after eating rambutan fruit in a garden that was exposed to the Nipah virus host: fruit bats. He is a resident of Kozhikode, Kerala state, India.

Two years have passed, in the past week, the mass media and television have once again been busy reporting the emergence of Nipah virus cases in Kerala, India. CNN reports the statement from the Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) stating that the number of deaths due to this virus infection is much higher than the COVID-19 pandemic. It is said that the death rate due to the COVID-19 pandemic is 2-3 percent, while for the Nipah virus, the death rate is 40 to 75 percent.

The following is the translation of the given 'Bahasa' text to 'English' while preserving any html tags: "The Nipah virus can be transmitted to humans through animals (such as fruit bats or pigs), or contaminated food, and can also be directly transmitted from human to human. Fruit bats from the Pteropodidae family are the natural host of the Nipah virus. There is no available treatment or vaccine for humans or animals. The main treatment for humans is supportive care. Zoonotic Virus."

Virus Nipah (NiV) is a zoonotic virus (transmitted from animals to humans) and can also be transmitted through contaminated food or directly between humans. In infected individuals, this disease causes various illnesses ranging from asymptomatic infections (subclinical) to acute respiratory illness and fatal encephalitis (inflammation of the brain). This virus can also cause severe disease in animals such as pigs, resulting in significant economic losses for farmers.

Although the Nipah virus only causes a few outbreaks in Asia, it infects many animals and causes severe illness and death in humans, making it a public health issue. Origin and Previous OutbreaksThe Nipah virus disease was first identified based on reports of an outbreak among pig farmers in a village in Sungai Nipah, Malaysia in 1998-1999, which also affected Singapore. From that outbreak, 276 confirmed cases with 106 deaths were reported (CFR: 38.41%).

The name "Nipah" refers to a place, Sungai Nipah in Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, the source of the first human Nipah virus cases. Nipah virus is one of several viruses identified by WHO as a potential cause of future epidemics. The Nipah virus (NiV) was first discovered in 1999 after an outbreak of disease in pigs and humans in Malaysia and Singapore. This outbreak resulted in nearly 300 cases in humans and over 100 deaths, as well as significant economic impact due to the culling of over 1 million pigs to help control the outbreak.

"Although there have been no other known NiV outbreaks in Malaysia and Singapore since 1999, this outbreak has been recorded almost every year in several Asian regions since then — especially in Bangladesh and India. The virus has been proven to spread from person to person during this outbreak, raising concerns about the potential of NiV causing a global pandemic. This disease was also identified in Bangladesh in 2001, and this outbreak has occurred almost every year in the country since then. The disease has also been periodically identified in eastern India."

Other regions may be at risk of infection, as evidence of the virus has been found in known natural reservoirs (Pteropus bat species) and several other bat species exist in several countries, including Cambodia, Ghana, Indonesia, Madagascar, the Philippines, and Thailand. Transmission During the first known outbreak in Malaysia, which also affected Singapore, most human transmission was caused by direct contact with sick pigs or their contaminated tissues. Transmission is believed to occur through exposure to unprotected pig fluids or unprotected contact with diseased animal tissues.

In the next outbreak in Bangladesh and India, consumption of fruits or fruit products (such as raw date juice) contaminated with urine or saliva from infected fruit bats is likely to be a source of infection. Currently, there is no research on the persistence of the virus in bodily fluids or the environment, including fruits. Human-to-human transmission of the Nipah virus has also been reported among infected family members and healthcare workers.

During the next outbreak in Bangladesh and India, the Nipah virus spreads directly from human to human through close contact with human secretions and excretions. In Siliguri, India in 2001, virus transmission was also reported to occur in healthcare settings, where 75% of cases occurred among hospital staff or visitors. From 2001 to 2008, approximately half of the reported cases in Bangladesh were caused by human-to-human transmission through the provision of care to infected patients.

Signs and symptoms Infection in humans ranges from asymptomatic infection to acute respiratory tract infection (mild, severe), and fatal encephalitis (inflammation of the brain). Infected individuals initially experience symptoms including fever, headache, myalgia (muscle pain), vomiting, and sore throat. This may be followed by dizziness, drowsiness, changes in consciousness, and neurological signs indicating acute encephalitis.

Some people may also experience atypical pneumonia and severe respiratory problems, including acute respiratory distress. Encephalitis or inflammation of the brain and seizures occur in severe cases, leading to coma within 24 to 48 hours. The incubation period (interval from infection to the onset of symptoms) is believed to range from 4 to 14 days. However, an incubation period of up to 45 days has been reported.

The text translated to English while preserving the html tags is as follows: "The case fatality rate is estimated to reach 40% to 75%. This figure can vary depending on the outbreak, depending on the local capacity for epidemiological surveillance and clinical management. Diagnosis The early signs and symptoms of Nipah virus infection are non-specific, and the diagnosis is often not suspected when it first appears. This can hinder accurate diagnosis and pose challenges in detecting outbreaks, implementing effective and timely infection control measures, and outbreak response activities."

Apart from that, the quality, quantity, type, time of clinical sample collection, and the time needed to transfer the sample to the laboratory can affect the accuracy of laboratory results. Nipah virus infection can be diagnosed based on clinical history during the acute phase and disease recovery. The main test used is real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of body fluids and antibody detection through enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Other tests used include polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and virus isolation with cell culture.

There is currently no specific medicine or vaccine for Nipah virus infection, although the WHO has identified Nipah as a priority disease in the WHO Research and Development Blueprint. Intensive supportive care is recommended to treat severe respiratory and neurological complications. Virus host: fruit bats Fruit bats from the Pteropodidae family - particularly species belonging to the genus Pteropus - are the natural hosts of the Nipah virus. No disease is observed in fruit bats.

Nipah Virus in Pets The Nipah virus outbreak in pigs and other pets such as horses, goats, sheep, cats, and dogs was first reported during the early outbreak in Malaysia in 1999. This virus is highly contagious among pigs. Pigs can transmit the virus during the incubation period, which lasts from 4 to 14 days.

Pigs infected with the virus do not show any symptoms, but some may experience acute fever, difficulty breathing, and neurological symptoms such as trembling, twitching, and muscle spasms. In general, the mortality rate is low except in young piglets. These symptoms are not much different from other respiratory and neurological diseases in pigs. Nipah virus should be suspected if pigs also have an unusual cough or if there are cases of encephalitis in humans.

Prevention and Control of Nipah Virus in Pigs Currently, there is no available vaccine to fight against Nipah virus. Based on the experience gained during the Nipah outbreak involving pig farms in 1999, regular and thorough cleaning and disinfection of pig farms with appropriate detergents may be effective in preventing infection.

If an outbreak is suspected, animal pens must be immediately quarantined. The destruction of infected animals - with strict supervision of burial or incineration of carcasses - may be necessary to reduce the risk of transmission to humans. Restricting or prohibiting the movement of animals from infected farms to other areas can help reduce the spread of this disease. Since the Nipah virus outbreak has involved pigs and/or fruit bats, establishing a surveillance system for animal/wildlife health, using a One Health approach, is crucial to detect Nipah cases.

Reducing the risk of infection in humans. Without a vaccine, the only way to reduce or prevent infection in humans is by increasing awareness of risk factors and educating the community about actions they can take to reduce exposure to the Nipah virus. Public health education messages should focus on: - Reducing the risk of transmission from bats to humans. Efforts to prevent transmission should first focus on reducing bat access to date palm sap and other fresh food products.

Keeping bats away from latex collection sites with protective covers (such as bamboo latex covers) may help. Freshly picked date juice should be boiled, and the fruits should be thoroughly washed and peeled before consumption. Fruits with bat bite marks should be discarded. Reducing the risk of transmission from animals to humans. Gloves and other protective clothing should be worn when handling sick animals or their tissues, and during slaughter and disposal procedures. As much as possible, the community should avoid contact with infected pigs.

In endemic areas, when building a new pig farm, consideration should be given to the presence of fruit bats in the area, and in general, pig feed and pig pens should be protected from bats if possible. This is to reduce the risk of transmission from human to human. Close and unprotected physical contact with individuals infected with the Nipah virus should be avoided. Regular hand washing should be done after caring for or visiting sick individuals. Controlling infections in healthcare facilities.

Health workers who care for patients suspected or confirmed to be infected, or handle patient specimens, must apply standard infection control precautions at all times. Because human-to-human transmission has been reported, especially in healthcare facilities, contact and droplet precautions should be taken in addition to standard precautions. Airborne transmission prevention measures may be necessary under certain conditions. Samples taken from humans and animals suspected to be infected with the Nipah virus should be handled by trained staff working in laboratories with appropriate equipment.

WHO supports countries affected and at risk by providing technical guidance on how to handle Nipah virus outbreaks and prevent them. The risk of international transmission through contaminated fruits or fruit products (such as raw date juice) from infected fruit bats' urine or saliva can be prevented by thoroughly washing and peeling them before consumption. Fruits with signs of bat bites should be discarded. (eha) Source: CNN, WHO, Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia, CDC, WOAH