LAHORE:The National Institute of Health has issued an advisory on the Nipah virus (NiV) infection, urging authorities at entry points across the country to stay vigilant, according to a report on Monday.

The NIH advisory details that the risk of occurrence of the virus in Pakistan was low, but mentioned that an outbreak of the virus in Indian state of Kerala in September this year had claimed two lives.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Nipah virus (NiV) was first recognised in 1999 during an outbreak among pig farmers in Malaysia.

The infection is contagious as it can be transmitted to humans from animals or through contaminated food and directly from human to human. Fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family are the natural host of Nipah virus, the advisory mentions. The NIH however warns that there is no treatment or vaccine available for either people or animals infected with the virus. The primary treatment for humans is supportive care.

“Previously countries including Bangladesh, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and India have also reported confirmed cases of Nipah virus in human. Although Nipah virus has caused only a few known outbreaks in Asia, it infects a wide range of animals and causes severe disease and death in people, making it a public health concern,” details the advisory.