A Call to Study Eco-impact of Exotic Plants

Exotic species, often referred to as alien, nonnative, nonindigenous, or introduced species of Plants and Animals, are those that occur in areas outside of their natural geographic range.
The presence of an exotic species may have a significant effect on the local ecosystem. The ecological impact varies; it may generally bring adverse effects to the ecological balance in an ecosystem or it may be beneficial.
Exotic species can result in habitat modifications that may reduce native species abundance and restructure communities.
At other times, the effect is not too significant to cause major changes in the ecosystem.

As Kerala is hoping to have seen the end of a third spell of Nipah outbreak in three years, scientists have recommended studies into the ecological impact of exotic plants in wake of emerging zoonoses.
While plant import is being regulated in the country with measures, including plant quarantine, it is important to assess the interaction of imported plants with indigenous species.
While studies following the 2018 Nipah outbreak had concluded that the virus was first transmitted from fruit bats but in the recent outbreak, experts have raised suspicion about the infection’s link to rambutan, an exotic fruit, which along with mangosteen, pulasan, durian, and dragon fruit.

Currently, the import of exotic plants is regulated under Plant Quarantine (Regulation of Import into India) Order, 2003, that mandates phyto sanitisation and quarantine measures to ascertain whether they carry any pest, fungi, or other microorganism.
However, there is no mechanism to track the long-term ecological impacts of large-scale cultivation of exotic plants.
Imported plants bypass the naturalisation process.

Nipah is a viral infection caused by the Nipah virus (NiV).
Fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family are the natural host of Nipah virus.
The disease was first identified in 1998 during an outbreak in Malaysia and it was named after a village in Malaysia, Sungai Nipah. Later, Nipah outbreaks have been reported in Singapore, Bangladesh and India.
Till date, India has experienced four episodes of NiV outbreaks with Case Fatality Rate (CFR) ranging from 65% to 100%. The first evidence of NiV infection was reported in Siliguri district, West Bengal in 2001. The last outbreak was reported in Kerala state in 2019.
A study in 2018 has identified many South East Asian countries including Indian states as potential hotspots for the NiV disease.
NiV is on the top-10 priority list pathogens identified by the World Health Organization.

It is a zoonotic virus (transmitted from animals to humans) which can also be transmitted through contaminated food or directly between people.
Consumption of fruits or fruit products (such as raw date palm juice) contaminated with urine or saliva from infected fruit bats is the most likely source of infection.
In infected people, it causes a range of illnesses from asymptomatic (subclinical) infection to acute respiratory illness and fatal encephalitis.
The virus can also cause severe disease in animals such as pigs, resulting in significant economic losses for farmers.

There are currently no drugs or vaccines specific for Nipah virus infection.
The primary treatment for humans is supportive care.

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