Teenager dies from 'brain-swelling' bat virus in India as officials confirm second case - fuelling fears of 'next pandemic'
The 18-year-old, from Malappuram a city in the Kerala region of India, tested positive for Nipah virus, which kills more than two thirds of people infected.
The virus, which is carried by fruit bats and passed on to humans through their droppings and saliva, is of the same viral family as measles, making it highly contagious.
On July 2, the unnamed woman suffered from acute encephalitis syndrome (AES), which is inflammation of the brain, and is often accompanied with an onset of fever and neurological symptoms.
Officials have also confirmed there has been a second case of a 38-year-old woman from Palakkad who is in critical condition.
The woman is undergoing treatment at the private hospital Perinthalmanna in the city, reported The Hindu.
There are 425 people across three districts who have been identified as contacts of the two women, who may have come into contact with them at a social event.
Of these people, 12 in Malappuram are receiving treatment, including five in intensive care.
Authorities are still awaiting full test results to establish how many people may be infected.
It is important to note that one of the patients receiving treatment has tested negative for the disease.
There was previously an outbreak of the virus, which inspired the Hollywood pandemic thriller 'Contagion', in the Kerala region in 2023.
Last month, researchers found two new viruses which are closely related to Nipah and the deadly Hendra virus.
The infections, which can trigger severe brain inflammation and respiratory disease have been discovered in bats in China.
Experts have raised urgent concerns about the potential of these viruses to jump to local people.
These were found in fruit bats (Rousettus leschenaultia) living near orchards close to human villages in Yunnan.
Since henipaviruses can spread through urine, the study raises concerns about contaminated fruit and the risk of these viruses jumping to humans.
The team published their findings in the journal Plos Pathogens.
They wrote: 'By analysing the infectome of bat kidneys collected near village orchards and caves in Yunnan, we uncovered not only the diverse microbes bats carry, but also the first full-length genomes of novel bat-borne henipaviruses closely related to Hendra and Nipah viruses identified in China.'
They said their findings raise 'urgent concerns about the potential for these viruses to spill over into humans or livestock.'
Bats are natural reservoirs for a wide range of microorganisms, including some that have previously been transmitted to humans.
One theory is that the coronavirus could have originated in bats and then spilled over into people, triggering the global Covid pandemic.
However, others argue it came from a 'lab leak' or from other animals being sold at a wet market.
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