Meet The Microbiologist - The Scientists Behind The Microbiology

A recent Nipah virus outbreak in Kerala, India, was halted due to improved detection capabilities. G. Arunkumar tells the story of his involvement. Host: Julie Wolf  Take the MTM Listener Survey Subscribe (free) on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Android, RSS, or by email. Also available on the ASM Podcast Network app. Julie’s Biggest Takeaways: Because bats are the normal reservoir, Nipah virus outbreaks appear to be seasonal, with an increase in cases coinciding with the spring, when the bat reproduction season is. Once a person is infected through direct contact with the virus, the virus is transmitted person-to-person through respiratory droplets. Family clusters combined with the right incubation time acted as a clue that a Nipah virus outbreak had begun. Molecular tests improved virus detection during the 2018 Nipah outbreak because patients presented symptoms within a few days, which was too short for them to have developed antibodies. Molecular tests allowed identification of infected patients withi