Nipah Outbreak: New Clues Emerge As Bats Spotted At Farmland Linked To Index Case

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

The
individual
who
succumbed
to
Nipah
virus
infection
on
August
30,
serving
as
the
index
case
for
the
current
outbreak
in
Kerala,
possessed
farmland
near
his
residence
in
Maruthonkara
panchayat.
The
land
was
populated
with
areca
nut
trees
and
banana
plants,
and
it
was
a
common
sight
for
locals
and
health
officials
to
spot
bats
in
the
vicinity.
These
observations
provide
initial
clues
regarding
the
source
of
the
Nipah
outbreak
in
Kozhikode
district.
However,
the
precise
mode
of
transmission
to
the
index
case
can
only
be
determined
once
the
central
investigative
team
concludes
its
examination.

Fruit
bats
are
recognized
as
natural
carriers
of
the
Nipah
virus,
which
can
be
transmitted
through
contact
with
the
bodily
fluids
of
infected
animals.
Health
officials
have
noted
that
the
Bangladeshi
strain
of
the
Nipah
virus
can
facilitate
transmission
both
from
animals
to
humans
and
among
humans.

On
Thursday,
a
team
of
health
officials
collected
samples
of
bat
urine,
animal
droppings,
and
partially
consumed
fruit
from
the
victim’s
plantation
and
nearby
areas.
The
victim’s
residence
is
also
in
proximity
to
the
300-acre
Janakikadu
forest,
known
as
an
eco-tourist
center
and
inhabited
by
various
bat
species.
In
2018,
samples
of
bat
excretions
from
this
area
had
confirmed
the
presence
of
the
Nipah
virus
during
the
first
outbreak,
which
claimed
17
lives.

Nipah
Virus
Kerala:
6
Cases
Confirmed
In
Kozhikode

The
47-year-old,
who
tragically
lost
his
life
to
Nipah,
had
returned
to
Kerala
from
a
Gulf
country
approximately
one-and-a-half
years
ago
due
to
his
father’s
illness.
He
had
since
engaged
in
farming
and
managed
family-owned
plantations
featuring
areca
nut,
banana,
and
other
fruit
trees.
The
farmland
was
located
about
100
meters
from
his
home,
where
bats
were
frequently
observed
hanging
from
trees,
as
reported
by
Sameera
Basheer,
the
local
ward
member.

A
senior
health
official,
preferring
anonymity,
suggested
that
the
victim
might
have
come
into
contact
with
bat
secretions,
possibly
while
handling
an
areca
nut
on
the
ground.
The
bats
in
the
area
underwent
examination,
and
samples
of
their
saliva
and
blood
were
collected.
The
exact
mode
of
transmission
will
only
be
discerned
following
the
analysis
of
these
sample
results.

Shoba,
the
vice-president
of
the
panchayat,
shared
that
bats
were
widespread
throughout
the
panchayat
and
neighboring
areas
and
were
known
to
nibble
on
fruits
such
as
guava.
She
added
that
people
were
now
apprehensive,
even
reluctant
to
touch
fallen
fruit.
Prior
to
the
arrival
of
Nipah,
they
used
to
pick
guavas
from
the
trees,
wash
them,
and
consume
them
without
any
fear.

Many
fruit
growers
in
the
region
have
been
severely
affected
by
the
Nipah
outbreak,
which
has
heightened
concerns
about
bats
biting
fruits.

Experimental
Antiviral
Against
Nipah,
BSL-3
Lab
For
Testing
Reach
Kerala
From
ICMR:
Govt

Meanwhile,
the
health
department
recently
published
the
‘route
maps’ of
the
two
victims,
including
details
of
the
places
they
visited
after
experiencing
symptoms.
The
47-year-old
began
displaying
symptoms
on
August
22.
On
the
23rd,
he
attended
a
family
gathering
and
visited
a
bank
on
the
25th.
On
the
same
day,
he
prayed
at
a
nearby
mosque.
He
visited
two
different
clinics
before
ultimately
passing
away
at
a
private
hospital
on
August
30.

At
the
time
of
his
demise,
it
was
believed
to
be
a
natural
death,
with
no
suspicions
of
Nipah.
A
significant
number
of
people
had
attended
his
funeral
due
to
his
relatively
young
age
of
47.
Currently,
all
those
individuals
are
on
the
contact
list,
but
most
of
them
remain
asymptomatic,
as
noted
by
Shoba.

Story first published: Friday, September 15, 2023, 10:20 [IST]