In his speech, Zhazarevich noted that a key risk factor is the presence of a virus reservoir in the bat population, especially in regions of India and Bangladesh, including West Bengal. He emphasized the need to raise public awareness about such risks, including the consumption of palm sap.
The Nipah virus, which has neither a vaccine nor effective treatment, was first identified in 1999 following an outbreak among pig farmers in Malaysia and is classified by the WHO as a high-threat pathogen. The fatality rate can reach between 40 to 75%.
Last week, The Economic Times reported an outbreak of the Nipah virus in the Indian state of West Bengal, where five cases of infection have been recorded, three of which were registered last week. Among the infected are a doctor, a nurse, and another healthcare worker. About a hundred people who had contact with the sick have been quarantined.
The first outbreak was registered right after the New Year holidays when the virus was detected in two nurses. One of them is currently in a coma. It is believed that the source of the infection was a patient who died before necessary laboratory tests could be conducted due to the unstudied illness.
