CASE NOTES 4

You are a Community Nurse working in the department of public health and awareness
in Australia.

The spread of Nipah virus and its fatality has alarmed many Australian cities and the
government has started awareness campaigns for the safety of local people.

Background:-
Nipah virus, a paramyxo virus related to Hendra virus, first emerged in Malaysia in 1998.
Clinical presentation ranges from asymptomatic infection to fatal encephalitis. It infects
a wide range of animals and severe disease and death in people, making it public health
concern

Symptoms:-
Human infections range from asymptomatic infection to acute respiratory infection
Initial symptoms:
 Fever
 Headaches
 Myalgia
 Vomiting, sore throat
Followed by,
 Dizziness
 Drowsiness
 Altered consciousness
 Neurological signs that indicate acute encephalitis progressing to coma within 24
to 48 hrs
Incubation period: probably 4 to 14 days

Nipah case contacts:-

 Human infections resulted from direct contact with sick pigs or their
contaminated tissues
 Consumption of fruits or fruit products contaminated with urine or saliva from
infected fruit bats
 Human to human transmission has also been reported among family and care
givers of infected patients

Diagnosis:-
 Clinical history
  RT-PCR test
 Antibody detection via ELISA

Treatment:-
 No drugs or vaccines for Nipah
 Intensive supportive care to treat severe respiratory and neurologic
complications

Prevention and Management

 Routine and thorough cleaning and disinfection of pig farms with detergents may
be effective
 If an outbreak suspected, the animal premises should be quarantined
immediately
 Culling of infected animals or incineration of those animals may be necessary to
reduce the risk of transmission to people
 Restricting or banning the movement of animals from infected farms to other
areas
 Establishing an animal health/ wild life surveillance system to detect cases

WRITING TASK

Using the information given above, write a letter to Mr Alister John, Social
worker, Australia to conduct an awareness campaign for a group of workers in
pig farm industry about the importance of prevention and control of nipah