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WHO Report: Habitat Loss Resulted In Nipah Virus Epidemic In Kerala
Nipah Virus Outbreak: WHO Report suggests Habitat Loss Resulted In Nipah Virus Epidemic In Kerala
As per the report by World Health Organisation (WHO), released on 23rd May 2018, human-triggered factors like habitat loss due to deforestation and climate change set off infectious epidemics such as recent Nipah cases in Kerala.
WHO report stated, due to habitat destruction by human activity, flying fox (fruit bat), a natural host of Nipah virus get stressed and hungry, which weakens its immune system, increasing virus load which resulted in a lot of virus excreting from urine and saliva of bats.
WHO report added, there is a strong evidence that emergence of bat-related viral infections can be attributed to a loss of animal’s natural habitats. Reproductive and nutritional stress are potential role players in Nipah and Hendra (Nipah equivalent in Australia) viruses spillover.
WHO also stated, Nutritional stress is mainly due to loss of food resources which is the direct consequence of habitat loss and climate change brings bats closer to urban areas.
WHO further notified that 'Forest fragmentation' and hunting bats for food also bring them closer to humans and is often an important cause of disease transmission. It can be seen from rapid urbanisation of bat-rich rainforests contributed to the emergence of Nipah virus in Malaysia.
