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Journalism of Courage
Petrol and diesel touched an all-time high Monday — Rs 76.57 and Rs 67.82 per litre respectively in Delhi. The prices coincided with the highest that brent crude has touched since November 2014 — $ 78.64 a barrel — and a 16-month low for the rupee (68.12 against the dollar).
It is important to note, however, that brent crude was at $ 113.3 per barrel when petrol hit its earlier high (Rs 76.06 in Delhi) in September 2013, when the UPA was in power. The rupee, however, was stronger at 63.49 then. When the NDA government came to power in May 2014, petrol and diesel stood at Rs 71.4 and Rs 57.28 per litre respectively in Delhi. While petrol and diesel prices have risen by 7% and 9% respectively since the beginning of March 2018, the rupee has weakened by 4.5% and crude has risen by 18.9%.
What is the mystery virus that has claimed several lives in Kerala and sent shockwaves across the country?
Three people are confirmed dead due to Nipah virus (NiV)-related complications in Kerala’s Kozhikode district; on Monday, the virus was suspected to have killed another three individuals. The natural carriers of the virus are fruit bats of the Pteropus genus. The first outbreak was reported in the Malaysian village of Kampung Sungai Nipah in 1998, which gave the virus its name. In Malaysia, the virus was transmitted to humans through pigs; in 2004 in Bangladesh, however, humans were infected after consuming date palm sap contaminated by infected fruit bats.
Also read | Nipah outbreak in Kerala: Six dead, Centre rushes joint probe team
In most cases, NiV infections lead to encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), and the common symptoms include fever, headache, respiratory illness and mental confusion. The virus cannot be transmitted through air, and only those who come in physical contact with infected persons are infected. There is no vaccine available to prevent the disease, and the primary treatment is intensive supportive care. In India, NiV infections were first reported in 2001 and then in 2007 — both outbreaks took place in West Bengal. A total 71 cases and 50 deaths were reported in these outbreaks.
