Nipah virus, which led to the death of 18 people in Kerala in 2018, has been found in two species of bats in Maharashtra for the first time. Scientists from the Pune-based National Institute of Virology (NIV) identified the virus in bats from a cave in Mahabaleshwar in Satara in March 2020.
According to a TOI report, Dr Pragya Yadav, the study's lead investigator said that none of the bat species in Maharashtra had previously shown exposure to Nipah. The NIV findings were part of an article namely ‘Journal of Infection and Public Health’ which stated that so far India has been engulfed by four Nipah outbreaks.
For the purpose of the study, 65 leschenaultii and 15 Pipistrellus bats were trapped and blood, throat, and rectal swabs from the anesthetized bats inside Mahabaleshwar were collected.
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The virus, usually found in bats and transmitted through them, features in the top 10 priority list of pathogens identified by the World Health Organisation (WHO), and its transmission to humans has resulted in deadly outbreaks across the world.
A zoonotic virus, infection with Nipah virus is associated with encephalitis (swelling of the brain) and can cause mild to severe illness and even death. Outbreaks occur almost annually in parts of Asia, primarily Bangladesh and India.
Currently, there are no licensed treatments available for Nipah virus (NiV) infection. Treatment is limited to supportive care, including rest, hydration, and treatment of symptoms as they occur. The case fatality rate in Nipah infections ranges between 65 per cent and 100 per cent.
