From Corona to Nipah… Why do cases of the dangerous virus first surface in Kerala? Know the reason

Why Virus Outbreak In Kerala: Whenever a new and deadly virus hits India, its first case often comes from the state of Kerala. From Corona epidemic to infections like Nipah, Monkeypox and Shigella, the onset of infections was first seen in Kerala itself. Recently, the outbreak of Nipah virus has once again been seen in the state and along with it, a child has also lost his life due to Shigella infection. The activation of two different dangerous infections at the same time is indeed a matter of concern. Seeing this situation, a question arises in everyone’s mind that why Kerala again and again becomes the entry point of these infectious diseases. Many important reasons related to the geographical location, population structure and health system are responsible for this, which is very important to understand in depth.

Deforestation and direct contact with wildlife

A large part of Kerala is surrounded by the dense forests of the Western Ghats, which are naturally considered to be the main home of fruit bats. In the last few years, the pace of development and urbanization in the state has increased very rapidly, due to which forests are being cut. When the natural habitats of these bats started getting destroyed, they started setting up their camps around human settlements. Due to this change, the distance between humans and wild animals has now reduced considerably. This is the reason why viruses living in animals are easily reaching the human population and infecting them.

Consumption of toddy and contaminated fruits becomes a big problem

In the rural areas of Kerala, the practice of consuming toddy and fresh fruits from trees is very prevalent. Being close to forests, bats often sit on these fruits or toddy utensils and contaminate them with their saliva or urine. When local people unknowingly use such infected fruits or toddy, the deadly virus like Nipah directly enters their body. This type of direct contact has become a major and main means of spread of zoonotic diseases i.e. diseases spread by animals among humans.

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High speed of spread of infection due to dense population

Kerala is among those states of India where the population density is very high. This simply means that here a large number of people live together in a very small area. The biggest disadvantage of having a dense population is that whenever a new infectious virus makes one person its victim, it reaches others in a very short time. Due to social and family ties being very close, the spread of the virus is seen very rapidly here among family members or doctors taking care of a patient.

Strong network of Gulf countries spread across the world

The economic and social fabric of Kerala is deeply connected with foreign countries. A very large population of the state, which is more than 25,00,000, lives in Gulf countries for employment. Apart from this, millions of other people work in areas like Africa, Europe, America and South-East Asia. These people keep coming and going to their homes continuously, due to which the number of passengers coming from international flights on per capita basis is very high in Kerala. While this global connectivity provides economic strength to the state, it also opens an easy way for infections to spread globally.

History of the first knock of Corona epidemic

The result of this network of global travel was that the first case of Corona, the biggest epidemic of the century in India, was also registered in Kerala itself. On January 27, 2020, the virus was confirmed in a 20-year-old student who had returned from China’s Wuhan University, who was admitted to a hospital in Thrissur, Kerala. This incident makes it clear that the new virus which spreads in any corner of the world first reaches Kerala’s soil through international travelers.

Recurrence of Nipah in certain areas of North Kerala

Nipah virus is like a terrible tragedy for Kerala and it does not come from outside but is present in the forests here. A total of 4 outbreaks of Nipah have been seen in the state so far, out of which 3 times the infection has spread only in specific districts of North Kerala like Kozhikode and Malappuram. In these areas, agricultural land has expanded into the forests, due to which the range between humans and bat colonies has completely ended. This misuse of land has become the biggest threat to public health there today.

Strong health infrastructure and excellent checking system

The most positive aspect of this whole story is the strong health infrastructure of Kerala, which is often less discussed. Kerala has a health system built over decades of hard work which is more advanced than other states of the country. Here, contact tracing, rigorous testing and disease monitoring system works very actively at the ground level. Kerala’s system has the power to catch any new virus in its early stages, which helps in preventing the disease from spreading further.

Transparency and awareness compared to other states

If we talk about big states like Uttar Pradesh or Bihar, then due to weak surveillance system there, a virus can circulate among people for weeks and is caught only after taking a big form. In contrast, in Kerala, every suspected case is reported immediately in a very transparent manner as per World Health Organization standards. This does not at all mean that there are more diseases in Kerala, but it simply means that Kerala has the best and most alert eyes in the country to identify new infections in time.

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