Bangladesh strain of Nipah Virus unfolding like a thrilling 'crime story', says top epidemiologist

According to Dr. Gangakhedkar, uncovering the secrets of the Nipah virus involves a series of investigative steps that resemble a thrilling crime story.

Bangladesh Nipah virus strain found in the country can cause severe breathing problems and has a mortality rate of 90 per cent. It is important to identify the source of the virus to prevent further spread, Dr. Raman Gangakhedkar, a top epidemiologist warned in an interview with speaking to News18 on Saturday.

Dr. Gangakhedkar the former head of epidemiology and communicable diseases of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) led India's response to the last three Nipah virus outbreaks in Kerala.

On September 13, Kerala Health Minister Veena George found that Nipah cases within the state were of the Bangladesh strain.

“The Malaysian strain is known for manifesting neurological symptoms but the Bangladesh strain is known for higher case fatality rate or deaths… It will kill nine people out of 10 infected, approximately,” he said, adding that 89 per cent of patients died out of 23 infected patients in the first outbreak.

According to Gangakhedkar, uncovering the secrets of the Nipah virus involves a series of investigative steps that resemble a thrilling crime story.

This includes locating the patient who first contracted the virus, tracing its origins, identifying the events that led up to the index patient's infection, and tracking down everyone who may have come into contact with them.

“It is a jigsaw puzzle,” he said, recalling that, in 2018, he and other team members solved the Nipah virus mystery in 15 days.

Back in May of 2018, a group of scientists discovered that the initial patient had come into direct contact with fruit bats while cleaning the well of his home in a Kerala village.

“In Kerala, the bats come to eat fruits in the orchards. In 2018 and 2019, the outbreak happened in the month of May, which threw up a clue that they come to eat mangoes in summer. Hence, the advisory was issued to consume fruits after washing them or not to touch bitten fruits", reported by News18.

It was in September 2021 that another outbreak occurred. Fortunately, the lessons learned from the Covid-19 pandemic's quarantine and isolation measures proved helpful in managing Nipah virus.

People were more willing to comply with safety measures such as wearing masks and practicing isolation, which aided in the situation.

Gangakhedkar stressed the importance of finding new connections now that the outbreak has happened again for the second time in September.

“Contact-tracing should be very heavy”, Gangakhedkar said, recalling that in 2018, more than 2,000 people were tracked and traced in just three days.