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Epidemiology, surveillance and control of Nipah virus infections in Malaysia The outbreak of Nipah virus, affecting pigs and pig-farm workers, was first noted in September 1998 in the north-western part of peninsular Malaysia. By March 1999, the outbreak had spread to other pig-farming areas of the country, inclusive of the neighbouring country, Singapore. A total of 283 human cases of viral encephalitis with 109 deaths were recorded in Malaysia from 29 September 1998 to December 1999. During the outbreak period, a number of surveillances under three broad groups; Surveillance in Human Health Sector, Surveillance in Animal Health Sector, and Surveillance for the Reservoir Hosts, were carried out to determine the prevalence, risk of virus infections and transmission in human and swine populations as well as the source and reservoir hosts of Nipah virus. Surveillance data showed that the virus spread rapidly among pigs within infected farms and transmission was attributed to direct co

Unicellular organism                                                                                    1.Body is made up of single cell 2.Division of labour is at the organelle level. It gives a low level of operational efficiency. 3.  A single cell carries out all the life processes 4.The cell body is exposed to the environment on all sides 5 . An  injury of the cells can cause death of the organism. 6.A cell body cannot attain a large size because of the limit imposed by surface area to volume ratio 7.Lifespan is short due to heavy load of work. 8.Power of division is not lost 9.A well-marked capacity of regeneration is present 10.The cell has the same role for itself and the organism Multicellular organism 1.Body is made up of numerous cells. 2.Division of labour may be at cellular, tissue, organ and organ system level.       It gives high degree of operational efficiency. 3.Different cells are specialized to perform different functions. 4.Only outer cells are speci

What is Fragmentation? Fragmentation is the process of breaking  off a piece of organism followed by mitosis cell division. Meiosis is  not involved in this process as it is a mode of asexual reproduction.  The broken part can develop into an independent adult. Reproduction of  sea anemones, star fishes, and flatworms are well-known examples for  fragmentation. Fragmentation process is limited to  invertebrates, and it is absent in vertebrates. This is very common  among cyanobacteria, molds, lichens, many plants and animals like  sponges, flatworms and sea stars. The ability of fragmentation depends  on the complexity of the organism. It may or may not be intentional and  may occur naturally or by predators. Most of the time, after the  splitting occurs, both fragments are capable of regenerating into  complete individuals. What is Regeneration? Regeneration is a modified form of  fragmentation. It is known as a process that makes genomes, cells  organs, organisms, a

Nipah virus (NiV) is an emerging zoonotic virus (a virus transmitted to humans from animals). In infected people, Nipah virus causes a range of illnesses from asymptomatic (subclinical) infection to acute respiratory illness and fatal encephalitis. NiV can also cause severe disease in animals such as pigs, resulting in significant economic losses for farmers. Nipah virus is closely related to Hendra virus. Both are members of the genus Henipavirus, a new class of virus in the Paramyxoviridaefamily. Although Nipah virus has caused only a few outbreaks, it infects a wide range of animals and causes severe disease and death in people, making it a public health concern. Past Outbreaks Nipah virus was first recognized in 1999 during an outbreak among pig farmers in Kampung Sungai Nipah, Malaysia. No new outbreaks have been reported in Malaysia and Singapore since 1999.  NiV was first recognized in Bangladesh in 2001 and nearly annual outbreaks have occurred in that country since, with