{"id":5840,"date":"2019-04-18T06:05:12","date_gmt":"2019-04-18T06:05:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/?p=5840"},"modified":"2021-03-31T15:17:35","modified_gmt":"2021-03-31T15:17:35","slug":"14-known-risk-factors-for-nipah-virus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/14-known-risk-factors-for-nipah-virus\/","title":{"rendered":"14 Known Risk Factors for Nipah Virus"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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There are definitely some scary viruses out there, and the Nipah virus is one of the scariest. This virus has only been found in certain parts of the world so far, but it has an extremely high mortality rate and thus more scientists have not been able to find any sort of cure or vaccine to combat it. This is the scariest type of situation for organizations like the Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luckily, the number of people that have gotten infected compared to the number of people that have been exposed is actually pretty small. That means that even if you have some of these risk factors that we are going to go over now, your chances of contracting the virus may not be as high as you think. Of course, you should still take all the precautions that you can, and that\u2019s exactly what we are going to be looking at in this article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Living in or Visiting Certain Parts of the World<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

First of all, if you are living in or visiting certain parts of the world, then your chances of contracting the virus are definitely higher. So far, outbreaks have occurred in Malaysia, Singapore, Bangladesh, and India. But this is a brand-new virus and it is difficult to predict whether or not other areas will be at risk as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Right now, scientists do not even know which parts of the world might be at risk of contracting the virus <\/a>eventually. There are some nations that have been deemed to be at higher risk than other parts of the world including Thailand, Ghana, the Philippines, Madagascar, and Cambodia, but there could be other areas that are at risk for contracting this deadly virus as well. But if you live in one of the regions that have been mentioned here, then you definitely want to take every precaution and avoid any of the other risk factors listed here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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2. Family Members of Someone with the Illness Are at Risk<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Having family members they currently have this virus can definitely put other family members at risk. This because even if the family members that are infected are in medical care, and many parts of the world, this is usually not secure medical care that is quarantined<\/a>. Therefore, those family members can visit anytime they want and that can lead to a risk of infection. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The transmission rate is higher when it comes from human to human rather than from animal to human, so you want to be really careful if you have friends or relatives that are infected with this virus and try to stay away from them if you can. At the very least, you should take precautions to make sure that you are not going to get infected if you do happen to visit them such as putting a mask over your face and avoiding touching the same surfaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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3. Medical Providers can be exposed to the Virus<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you are a medical provider that is treating these viral cases, then you are definitely at risk as well. Medical providers treating people with this virus can be particularly at risk because they are exposed to all sorts of things that could carry the virus. Besides, they interact with the patient constantly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But in addition to that, they can be exposed to the same surfaces of the patient touches, they can be exposed to the same air that the patient breathes and they can even be exposed to blood, urine, saliva and other bodily fluids that can carry the infection<\/a>. This usually only happens in areas where medical providers are not given adequate protection, but as a medical provider, you want to be aware of how serious this illness is and take whatever precautions you can to prevent yourself from getting infected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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4. Animal Handlers are Particularly at Risk<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If your normal job is handling animals that may be infected <\/a>with this virus, then you may want to take additional precautions or think about switching careers. This deadly illness can definitely be passed on from animals to humans. However, so far the outbreaks that have happened had only been from swine transmission to humans. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That means that if you work with animals other than swine, even if you live or work in the affected areas mentioned earlier, then your chances of transmission are lower. That does not mean that they are nonexistent, however. Since this is an emerging virus, scientists do not yet know exactly how it is passed on and which animals might be at risk. You need to be careful if you are handling animals in one of the major risk regions listed above. Making sure that none of your animals are infected is certainly a step in the right direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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5. Those With Compromised Immune Systems are at a Higher Risk<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Those with a compromised immune system<\/a> are definitely going to be a higher risk than other types of patients. This virus is an infection. When it gets in the body, it is up to the white blood cells of your body to fight it off. There is no cure for the disease, and no antiviral that works on the illness presently. That means that if you\u2019re going to survive this disease, then it is going to be up to your body\u2019s defenses to eradicate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is obviously going to be a lot harder if you have a compromised immune system. If you know your body\u2019s immune system is weak, then you want to take steps to avoid getting the virus in the first place and do whatever you can to try to boost your immune system. There are lots of natural remedies out there that will help you boost your immune system to prevent infections like these.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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6. Health Care Locations with Lower Infection Control Standards can be Risky<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Health care locations can also be a risk factor. In some parts of the world, health care locations have lower infection <\/a>control standards. That means that they do not do as much to prevent you from becoming infected by a virus or other illness. These may be in poverty-stricken areas where the resources are not available to protect patients, but you want to be aware of these standards in whether or not your medical care facility is providing enough protection. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you know your local hospital or medical provider is not going to be able to protect you from this virus, and you live in one of the regions where you could easily become infected within the hospital, then you want to take as many precautions as you possibly can to avoid getting infected in the first place. That is the only way that you can keep yourself safe in these regions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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7. Certain Foods Can Have Higher Risk<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There are also certain foods that are going to have a higher risk than other types of food. Because these diseases carried by a specific family of bats that tend to go after the date palm sap and other fresh food products, these are foods we may want to avoid when it comes to trying to avoid this virus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Obviously, experts are focused on preventing bats from accessing date palm sap and other foods, including making protective coverings for collection sites, but you should avoid any foods that you are not sure are free of the virus. Freshly collected date palm juice<\/a> should be boiled, fruit should be completely washed and peeled before you need them and any fruits with any signs that bats have been at them should be avoided completely. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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8. Those Who do not Follow CDC Protocols for the Disease are at Higher Risk<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There are definitely higher risk factors for those who do not follow CDC protocols for the disease. For example, wearing gloves and other protective clothing while handling sick animals and their tissues <\/a>is a recommended effort from the CDC. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, they recommend avoiding these animals altogether. They also recommend avoiding contact with anyone that has this virus, and for those medical providers to have to interact with them, high-level handwashing should be carried out after caring for those with the virus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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9. Abattoir Workers are at High Risk <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

People who work in abattoirs are at high risk of contracting any form of an animal-borne virus that has the capability for human transmission. Examples would be workers in Chinese chicken abattoirs contracting the “Bird flu” virus, or pig abattoir workers catching “swine flu.” In both cases, the virus was the cause of hundreds of fatalities in affected countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In early March 1999, some eleven workers in Singapore swine abattoirs came down with Nipah virus-associated pneumonia or encephalitis<\/a>, with one of the workers dying from the illness. As a result, swine imports from the Malaysian States halted, and all existing swine stocks quarantined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Abattoirs went about cleaning and maintenance to remove any trace of the virus. By May, there were no new cases of the illness reported among swine farmers, resulting in the re-opening of the industry. Medical scientists identify people who handle live pigs infected with the virus as the highest risk group for contracting the disease.
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10. Traveling with Infected Individuals is a Risk<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When the Nipah virus first enters the body, it undergoes an incubation phase. The infected individual may take between four to 14-days to shows signs of the disease. During this time, they are contagious<\/a>, and they may spread the virus to other people that come in contact with their body fluids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shaking hands or touching the skin of an infected person can transmit the virus if the person has sweat or dried sweat on their skin. The virus enters the body through the pores, where it starts the incubation phase. As a result, the medical community classifies the Nipah virus as a highly infectious and extremely contagious disease. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Should an infected person cough or sneeze near to you, the particles may travel through your sinus as you breathe, resulting in infection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People who frequently travel through the Asian continent should take precautionary measures when using airports, airplanes, and public transport, such as buses or taxis.
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11. Handling Medical Waste Places You at Risk<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

People who work in the medical sector need specialized training in a variety of areas \u2013 even in throwing out the trash. Safe disposal of hazardous waste is a serious issue for hospitals, and people tasked with this job spend many hours in training rooms to ensure they understand the procedures and practices of handling and disposing of dangerous biological materials. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, as with every occupation, accidents can happen in the workplace. As a result of mishandling or incorrect disposal of hazardous waste, the employees and the environment risk exposure to harmful pathogens<\/a>. Almost all patients with Nipah virus visit a hospital for treatment at some stage of their infection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the patient sweats into the bed linens in the hospital, this bedding requires sterile washing to ensure there are no trace remnants of the virus that could cause infection. Employees that do not follow guidelines for personal protective equipment use while handling these types of hazardous materials are at risk of contracting a disease.
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12. Visiting Locations with Bat Populations Puts You at Risk<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Medical science is still unclear as to the exact origin of the Nipah virus. One of the theories around the transmission of the disease involves bats as the original carriers of the virus. Bats carry plenty of dangerous viruses due to their cramped, dark, and moist living quarters in caves. This environment provides the ideal breeding ground for various pathogens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Infected fruit bats then fly out of the cave to feed, urinating and defecating on fruit while collecting food. Humans then pick the fruit and contract the virus upon eating it. As a result, anyone visiting a high-risk area with local bat populations should take extra-special care of their hygiene <\/a>and where they source their food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bats and pigs are among the known carriers of the disease, and anyone working with pig populations on ranches should also be aware of the potential risk of contracting the Nipah virus, especially if they keep their livestock in crowded living conditions.
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13. People Fighting Other Infections are at High Risk<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As previously mentioned, people with weakened immune systems are more at risk of catching the Nipah virus<\/a>. The immune system is the guardian of the body and our only means of defense against invading pathogens. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In most cases of infection, the body can fight the effects and recover, with the immune system gaining resistance to the disease. However, it becomes quite a different scenario when the patient dealing with an infection, develops another disease alongside the original illness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

People who are already sick with another pathogen, such as 9influemnza or bronchitis, are already battling the disease. As a result, their immune system is working overtime to produce antibodies and white blood cells to curb the spread of the infection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adding another pathogen into the mix, especially one as aggressive as the Nipah virus, may result in life-threatening complications. The Nipah virus spreads quickly through the body with the immune system in a weakened state, leaving the patient with the worst effects of the illness.
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14. Failing to Follow Preventative Strategies Puts You at Risk<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Nipah virus infection occurs in regions of the world where livestock management regulations are lax. As a result, many swine farmers overpopulate their pig pens, providing the ideal environment for the quick spread of an outbreak<\/a>. Once an outbreak occurs, nearby pig farms are also at risk of the virus turning up in their livestock as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Failing to treat the outbreak in time may mean the loss of the entire farm’s production for the season, and in many cases, the disease can cause farms to go bankrupt. Reducing exposure to the virus by managing livestock according to health and safety standards set by government authorities is but one safeguard of avoiding a Nipah virus outbreak in pig farms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People working with pigs, or consuming fruit in high-risk regions, should take the necessary hygiene protocols to ensure they don’t contract the virus. Wear a personal protective face mask and gloves when handling pigs, and wash your hands frequently throughout the day. Clean all fruit and vegetables from high-risk areas before eating.
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