India is seeking to procure 20 more doses of monoclonal antibody for the treatment of Nipah virus infection from Australia as cases continue to rise in the country. The Director-General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Rajeev Bahl, announced on Friday that India has reached out to Australia for additional doses of the antibody amid repeated outbreaks of Nipah virus in the southern state of Kerala. The mortality rate of Nipah infection is much higher compared to Covid, with mortality rates ranging from 40 to 70 percent for Nipah, as opposed to 2-3 percent for Covid.
A recent case of Nipah virus was confirmed in Kozhikode, bringing the total number of infections in the state to six, with two deaths reported earlier. In 2018, India received a limited number of doses of monoclonal antibody from Australia, which are currently available for only 10 patients. Globally, monoclonal antibody has been administered to 14 patients infected with the Nipah virus outside India, and all of them have survived. The medicine is currently only available for compassionate use as efficacy trials have not been conducted.
ICMR is also planning to start work on developing a vaccine against Nipah virus, considering the high mortality rate associated with the infection. Bahl stated that ICMR is looking for partners to collaborate in the vaccine development process, utilizing the diverse platforms that were used to develop vaccines for Covid, such as DNA, mRNA, adenoviral vector, protein subunit, and nasal vaccines.
The cause of the recurring Nipah outbreaks in Kerala remains unknown. In 2018, it was found that the outbreak was related to bats, but the exact mode of transmission from bats to humans could not be established. The government is working to investigate the current outbreak, which typically occurs during the rainy season.
As a precautionary measure, Bahl advised people to follow social distancing, wear masks, and avoid consuming raw food that may have been exposed to bats. The decision to use the monoclonal antibody for Nipah treatment lies with the Kerala government, doctors, and the families of patients. The ICMR’s National Institute of Virology is conducting genome sequencing of the virus to determine its variant prevalent in Kerala.
India’s efforts to contain the spread of the Nipah virus are ongoing, with the procurement of additional doses of monoclonal antibody and the exploration of vaccine development. Prioritizing preventive measures and raising awareness about the virus is crucial in order to mitigate the impact of Nipah outbreaks in the future.
