CURRENT AFFAIRS

Detailed explanation-1: -Researchers have found the presence of antibodies against the Nipah virus (NiV) in some bat species from a cave in Mahabaleshwar. The research was jointly conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research and the National Institute of Virology.

Detailed explanation-2: -Nipah virus (NiV) is a zoonotic virus, meaning that it can spread between animals and people. Fruit bats, also called flying foxes, are the animal reservoir for NiV in nature. Nipah virus is also known to cause illness in pigs and people.

Detailed explanation-3: -Fruit bats are the natural reservoir of Nipah virus. Field researchers are preparing nets to catch the animals for testing and research in Faridpur, Bangladesh.

Detailed explanation-4: -Nipah virus was first seen in 1998 in peninsular Malaysia in pigs and pig farmers. By mid-1999, more than 265 human cases of encephalitis, including 105 deaths, had been reported in Malaysia, and 11 cases of either encephalitis or respiratory illness with one fatality were reported in Singapore.