Health Protection Agency (HPA) on Thursday stated there was a possibility of a Nipah virus outbreak in the Maldives, and that it was monitoring the situation closely.
In a statement urging caution amidst the Nipah virus flare-up in the southern state of Kerala in neighbouring India, HPA noted that while there has not been any reported cases in the Maldives, the disease could reach the country since fruit bats, which are the natural hosts of the virus, are found in the archipelago.
The agency assured that it was monitoring the situation closely with the counsel of the Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture, and taking all necessary steps to prevent an outbreak.
HPA also urged the public to take certain precautions to prevent contracting an infection:
- Protect fruit trees from bats
- Take precautions against bats during toddy tapping
- Pay special attention to hygienic practices when selling and consuming fruits
Nipah virus was first identified in Malaysia in 1998. Spread by fruit bats, it can prove fatal to both humans and many mammal species, causing encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain. Early symptoms of infection include fever, vomiting, severe headaches and breathing problems, which eventually pass into drowsiness, disorientation and confusion.
The virus can cause coma and death within just a day or two of infection. According to recent studies by World Health Organisation (WHO), the death rate is over 70 percent.
There is currently no known cure for the disease.
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