Caught Unawares
Down To Earth|June 16, 2018

Recent outbreak of Nipah virus is another reminder of India's ill-preparedness to deal with emerging zoonotic diseases

N P Chekkutty
Caught Unawares

FOR DECADES, Kerala basked in the glory of its excellent performance in the human development indices like public health and education, earning praise even from global agencies. But the sudden outbreak of the deadly Nipah virus in a village in the foothills of the Western Ghats in the northern part of the state has exposed the unseemly underbelly of the famed Kerala model of healthcare. The sudden occurrence of the deadly virus has come as a warning sign for the whole country, one of the world’s hotspots in zoonotic diseases.

The Nipah virus has killed 17 people in Kozhikode and Malappuram districts. The virus has made more than 200 people sick and another 1,407 are being monitored to ensure they do not carry the virus as they were in contact with the affected people.

The first patient, 26-year-old Muhammad Sabith, resident of a small village Sooppikkada in Changaroth pan-chayat near Perambra, Kozhikode, died on May 5 without anyone being wiser to the cause. He had fallen sick early May and was being treated at the taluk hospital in Perambra. But when doctors there failed to treat the high fever and related complications, he was shifted to the Calicut Medical College. The symptoms of Nipah are mostly generic and include encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), fever, headache and disorientation. It was only when his brother, Salih too fell sick two weeks later that doctors suspected Nipah virus and sent blood and serum samples to the Manipal Centre for Virus Research. A total of four people in the family succumbed to Nipah virus and all of those who contracted the disease got it through person-to-person contact in the hospitals where they were being treated. The state machinery did not wake up to the epidemic and put in requisite safeguards to contain the disease.

Esta historia es de la edición June 16, 2018 de Down To Earth.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición June 16, 2018 de Down To Earth.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE DOWN TO EARTHVer todo
A SPRIG TO CARE FOR
Down To Earth

A SPRIG TO CARE FOR

Punarnava, a perennial herb, is easy to grow and has huge health benefits

time-read
3 minutos  |
November 01, 2024
DIGGING A DISASTER
Down To Earth

DIGGING A DISASTER

Soapstone mining near Dabti Vijaypur village has caused many residents to migrate.

time-read
2 minutos  |
November 01, 2024
REVIEW THE TREATMENT
Down To Earth

REVIEW THE TREATMENT

Several faecal sludge treatment plants in Uttar Pradesh suffer from design flaws that make the treatment process both expensive and inefficient

time-read
3 minutos  |
November 01, 2024
MAKE STEEL SUSTAINABLE
Down To Earth

MAKE STEEL SUSTAINABLE

As India works to double its GDP by 2030, its steel industry must balance growth with sustainability. By embracing policies like the Steel Scrap Recycling Policy 2019 and adopting green technologies, India is paving the way for a more sustainable future in steel production

time-read
4 minutos  |
November 01, 2024
Can ANRF pull off the impossible for India?
Down To Earth

Can ANRF pull off the impossible for India?

Anusandhan National Research Foundation is expected to reorient India's innovation goals but funding issues, old mindsets remain a drag

time-read
4 minutos  |
November 01, 2024
TROUBLED WOODS
Down To Earth

TROUBLED WOODS

Forests are a great bulwark against climate change. But this is fast changing. AKSHIT SANGOMLA travels through some of the pristine patches of the Western Ghats to explore how natural disturbances triggered by global warming now threaten the forest health

time-read
10+ minutos  |
November 01, 2024
BLINDING GLOW
Down To Earth

BLINDING GLOW

The science is clear: increased illumination has damaging consequences for the health of humans, animals and plants. It’s time governments introduced policies to protect the natural darkness and improved the quality of outdoor lighting.

time-read
10+ minutos  |
November 01, 2024
GROUND REALITY
Down To Earth

GROUND REALITY

What happens when the soil loses the ability to grow healthy, high-yield crops on its own?

time-read
6 minutos  |
November 01, 2024
GM POLICY MUST BE FARMER CENTRIC
Down To Earth

GM POLICY MUST BE FARMER CENTRIC

On July 23, the Supreme Court of India directed the Union government to develop a national policy on genetically modified (GM) crops for research, cultivation, trade and commerce through public consultation.

time-read
6 minutos  |
November 01, 2024
Vinchurni's Gandhi
Down To Earth

Vinchurni's Gandhi

A 96-year-old farmer transforms barren land into a thriving forest in drought-prone region of Satara

time-read
2 minutos  |
November 01, 2024