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Nipah virus

  • Vaid's ICS, Lucknow
  • 06, Sep 2021
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Why in News?

After a gap of over three years, a case of the zoonotic Nipah virus infection has been reported in Kozhikode district of Kerala.

What measures are being taken to control the spread of the virus?

  • contact list of 188 persons, a majority of them healthcare workers, has been prepared.
  • Symptomatic persons will be shifted to hospital.

Need of the hour:

At a time when there is a relentless surge in Covid-19 infections in Kerala, accounting for a lion’s share of the nationwide case load, the return of the dreaded Nipah virus to the State is a cause for major concern.

  • This is the time for the Centre and the State government to take up containment measures with mutual trust and coordination.
  • There are urgent steps that need to be taken jointly, including contact tracing, quarantine, isolation, collection, and transportation of samples for lab testing and a detailed study of the surrounding areas by the National Centre for Disease Control from an epidemiological standpoint.

What is Nipah?

  • It is a zoonotic virus (it is transmitted from animals to humans).
  • It first broke out in Malaysia and Singapore in 1998 and 1999.
  • It first appeared in domestic pigs and has been found among several species of domestic animals including dogs, cats, goats, horses and sheep.

Spread:

  • The virus is transmitted to people from animals and can also be passed on through contaminated food or directly from person-to-person.
  • Fruit bats are considered to be a natural reservoir of the virus.

Symptoms:

Symptoms include acute encephalitis and respiratory illnesses.

Prevention:

Currently, there are no vaccines for both humans and animals. Intensive supportive care is given to humans infected by Nipah virus.

Facts for Prelims:

Houthis

Houthis are an armed rebel group belonging to the Zaidi Shia sect fighting against the government of Yemen.

Traditionally, the Houthis have been concentrated in the northwestern Saada Province of Yemen.

Ramon Magsaysay Award -2021

A Bangladeshi vaccine scientist and a microfinance expert from Pakistan are among the five recipients of this year’s Ramon Magsaysay Award.

The Ramon Magsaysay Award is considered the Asian version of the Nobel Prize.

In addition to Dr. Firdausi Qadri from Bangladesh and Muhammad Amjad Saqib from Pakistan, other winners include Filipino fisher and community environmentalist Roberto Bailon, American Steven Munsi for humanitarian work and refugee aid, and Watchdoc, the Indonesian organization for investigative journalism. ) Are included.

  • Ramon Magsaysay Award is given every year to individuals and organizations of Asia for doing particularly remarkable work in their respective fields.
  • This award is given in memory of former President of Philippines Ramon Magsaysay.
  • The Raman Magsaysay Award was instituted in the year 1958 and the first award was presented to ‘Vinoba Bhave’ of India.