Nipah Virus: Will medicine from Japan and Australia cure the infection?

| First Published Jun 1, 2018, 2:40 PM IST

With the increase in the number of people killed by Nipah virus, the Department of Health is expanding its contact list to bring in new medicines.

The health department is planning to import new medicines from Japan and Australia to stop the spreading of Nipah virus infection. The Nipah virus has infected many and the doctors are not successful in preventing deaths. Thus the health department is contemplating on getting advanced medicine as an attempt to obliterate Nipah virus. The medicine from Australia will arrive tonight (May 1). With the death of one more person on May 31, the health department is taking the matter seriously and is taking quick steps to bring it under control.

With the increase in the number of people killed by Nipah virus, the Department of Health is expanding its contact list to bring in new medicines. Rasin, a native of Naduvannoor who was suffering from Nipah virus, died yesterday. The death toll of Nipah fvictims has risen to 17 in Kerala alone. The health department said two persons are undergoing Nipah treatment, and there is no improvement in their health condition.

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The World Health Organization has said that there is no vaccine currently in place to deal with Nipah virus. WHO has confirmed that the drug produced in Japan is capable of dealing with the virus. It is in this context that the state is trying to bring the medicine from Japan.

Favipiravir is a drug which will arrive from Japan. This medicine is more effective than the currently used Ribavirin. The Japanese government has approved the drug produced by the Fuji Film Health Department owned by Toya Chama Chemicals. The health department is trying to bring medicine through the WHO, especially after it had stated that the medicine can control the viral infection.

However, the human monoclonal acid antibody will arrive with the drug M 102.4 from Australia. M 50 dose medicines are set to reach today. The patients will provide the medicine as guidelines prepared and directed by the health department. This drugs will be brought from the University of Queensland and University of Korea to Delhi airport, and from there it will be brought to Kerala.

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