Nipah Virus Infection (NiV)

As per the World Health Organization (WHO), the Nipah virus is a newly emerging zoonosis that causes severe disease in both animals and human beings. This virus was first identified in Malaysia and Singapore in 1998. At that time, it was primarily caused in pigs and through them got transferred to humans. It infected about 265 people then, out of which 40% were taken under Intensive Care due to infection having spread severely. It has reportedly claimed 11 lives already in the state of Kerala. As quoted by the WHO, the natural hosts of the virus are fruit bats of the Pteropodidae Family, Pteropus genus. There is no vaccine for either humans or animals available to prevent from getting this infection.

Causes

The virus is transmitted to a human by consuming fruits that have been eaten by infected bats and birds.
There can be a transmission of NiV to humans after direct contact with infected bats and pigs
The infection can be transmitted though contact with other NiV infected people.

Symptoms

After exposure and incubation period of 5-14 days, illness presents with 3-14 days of fever and headache followed by other symptoms like drowsiness, disorientation, mental confusion and coma. Sudden onset of Fever Headache Muscle Pains Nausea & Vomiting Neck Rigidity Photophobia Disease rapidly progresses with deterioration in conciousness leading to Coma within 5-7 days

Manage

Nipah virus infection can be prevented by avoiding exposure to sick pigs and bats in endemic areas and not drinking raw date palm sap and not consuming fruits that have fallen from trees.

Approaches

Homoeopathy as a science is an individualistic science where same disease can be treated with different medicines in different individuals. The wonderful system of medicine is able and much more advanced than the modern medicine which relies entirely on diagnosis of the disease rather than relieving the individual at hand. Like any other infection, here are some medicines that can be found extremely useful in treating a case of Nipah Virus Infection - Belladonna, Nux Vomica, Phosphorus, Rhus Tox, Opium

Investigation

Laboratory diagnosis of Nipah virus infection is made using real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) from throat swabs, cerebrospinal fluid, urine and blood analysis during acute and convalescent stages of the disease.
IgG and IgM antibody detection can be done after recovery to confirm Nipah virus infection.
Immunohistochemistry on tissues collected during autopsy also confirms the disease.
Viral RNA can be isolated from the saliva of infected persons

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