The laboratory confirmation of two Nipah virus (NiV) cases in West Bengal, India, which was recently relayed to the World Health Organization is a concerning development as it brings back memories of the COVID-19 pandemic and the poor response of our country’s health system to the threat.
NiV is a zoonotic illness transmitted from animals to people, and has been confirmed in India, where two health workers from the same hospital were infected. Over 190 of their contacts that have been identified have all tested negative, and no further cases have been detected.
However, it has drawn the spotlight to the gaps in the Philippines’ epidemic response system, and raised the question of whether the Department of Health has learned anything from the COVID-19 experience.
The DOH has of course assured the public that it is prepared for NiV. However, such declarations have been met with the usual skepticism as we heard the same response during the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic in late 2019, and even after our first COVID case was reported on January 30, 2020.
According to the WHO, the incubation period for NiV ranges from 3-14 days, although rare cases of up to 45 days have been reported. Most of those infected develop a fever, and symptoms involving the brain and/or the lungs, which could be headaches, confusion, difficulty breathing, or cough. Other symptoms include chills, fatigue, drowsiness, dizziness, vomiting and diarrhea.
The WHO has recommended decreasing bat access to date palm sap and other fresh food products, and limiting access to sick animals such as pigs or horses, and the routine disinfection of farms.
COVID-19 was highly contagious because it was transmitted easily through respiratory droplets and aerosols. NiV, on the other hand, has a low contagion rate as transmission requires close and prolonged contact with an infected individual or contaminated materials. However, it has a high fatality rate which makes it dangerous, and has no vaccine or treatment yet.
The WHO has assessed that the risk NiV poses is “moderate at the sub-national level, and low at the national, regional, and global levels.” It is not yet time to panic, but it is a reminder of the importance of prevention.
The country’s Bureau of Quarantine has implemented border screening measures soon after India reported its 2 NiV cases. This includes carrying out health declarations for departing passengers and thermal scanning. Airports in neighboring countries have also heightened health screening measures, particularly for passengers arriving from India.
Our experience with COVID-19 should serve as a warning to always be prepared against similar threats that could very quickly spiral out of control. Hopefully this time, the Philippines, along with the rest of the world, have learned their lesson when it comes to outbreaks that have the potential to become a pandemic.*
