Hendra Virus Disease And Nipah Virus Encephalitis Prevention
Hendra Virus Disease And Nipah Virus Encephalitis - Prevention
Controlling Nipah virus in domestic animals
There is no vaccine against Nipah virus. Routine cleaning and disinfection of pig farms (with sodium hypochorite or other detergents) is expected to be effective in preventing infection.
If an outbreak is suspected, the animal premises should be quarantined immediately. Culling of infected animals – with close supervision of burial or incineration of carcasses – may be necessary to reduce the risk of transmission to people. Restricting or banning the movement of animals from infected farms to other areas can reduce the spread of the disease.
As Nipah virus outbreaks in domestic animals have preceded human cases, establishing an animal health surveillance system to detect new cases is essential in providing early warning for veterinary and human public health authorities.
Reducing the risk of infection in people
In the absence of a vaccine, the only way to reduce infection in people is by raising awareness of the risk factors and educating people about the measures they can take to reduce exposure to the virus.
Public health educational messages should focus on the following.
- Reducing the risk of bat-to-human transmission. Efforts to prevent transmission should first focus on decreasing bat access to date palm sap. Freshly collected date palm juice should also be boiled and fruits should be thoroughly washed and peeled before consumption.
- Reducing the risk of human-to-human transmission. Close physical contact with Nipah virus-infected people should be avoided. Gloves and protective equipment should be worn when taking care of ill people. Regular hand washing should be carried out after caring for or visiting sick people.
- Reducing the risk of animal-to-human transmission. Gloves and other protective clothing should be worn while handling sick animals or their tissues, and during slaughtering and culling procedures.
Controlling infection in health-care settings
Health-care workers caring for patients with suspected or confirmed Nipah virus infection, or handling specimens from them, should implement standard infection control precautions.
Samples taken from people and animals with suspected Nipah virus infection should be handled by trained staff working in suitably equipped laboratories.
