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Awareness on Nipah Virus Among College Students
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| Author:
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PREETY RAJESH, DHANRAJ GANAPATHY
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| Abstract:
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Zoonotic infections account for more than 60% of newly identified infectious agents that have affected people over the past few decades. Nipah virus is one of the members of Henipa virus family, is an emerging zoonotic virus that can cause severe and lethal respiratory illness and encephalitis in humans. Recent threat of Nipah virus outbreak was reported in Kerala, India in May 2018. Majority of these zoonotic infections originate from wildlife. Nipah was initially thought to be a form of Japanese encephalitis but later was found out to be one of the most deadly viruses known to infect humans with a mortality rate of 40-100%. The aim of the study is to assess and create awareness on Nipah virus among college students.A questionnaire was prepared on survey planet app about awareness on Nipah virus and administered to college students. This survey was conducted among 80 college students, random sampling was done and data was collected which was put into pie charts with the statistical results. It is observed 15% of the students are aware of what a nipah virus is, 55% are aware of it’s outbreak in Kerala, 14% know it is a zoonotic infection, 19% believe there’s a cure through vaccination for the infection and 29% recommend personal protection when exposed to a source of infection. It is also observed in the pie charts that 55% are well aware of the symptoms, 36% know it’s mode of transmission, 44% know that date palm sap is the fruit which infects humans on eating it. Awareness on Nipah virus was created. There is only limited knowledge about the spread of Nipah infection. Health-care workers caring for patients with suspected or confirmed infection should implement standard infection control precautions at all times.
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| Keyword:
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Nipah, virus, infection, zoonotic, bats, Kerala outbreak
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| EOI:
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| DOI:
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https://doi.org/10.31838/ijpr/2020.12.04.331
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| Download:
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Request For Article
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