Infected persons sometimes do not show noticeable symptoms, others show signs of acute respiratory problems, while in severe cases, it can result in foetal encephalitis – a serious condition that affects the brain
An alert has been issued in the southern Indian state of Kerala, after two persons were confirmed to have died from the rare Nipah virus.
A BBC News report said one of the deaths occurred earlier this month while the other took place on August 30, both in the state’s Kozhikode district.
According to the report, two relatives of a victim gave tested positive for the virus and are being treated in the hospital.
Kerala’s Health Minister Veena George revealed that 168 contacts of the two people who died have been identified and are being tested for the virus.
He said the state government had set up a control room in Kozhikode to monitor the situation, while health workers have been instructed to follow infection control protocols.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the state government was taking the deaths “very seriously” and asked people to exercise caution by wearing face masks and visit hospitals only for emergencies.
He however noted that there was no reason to panic as people who were in contact with those who had died due to the virus were undergoing treatment.
India’s Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Tuesday, that a team of experts had been dispatched to the state by the federal government, to assess the situation and assist the state government in managing the outbreak.
This is the fourth Nipah outbreak in Kerala since 2018.
The Nipah virus infection, according to the World Health Organization, is a “zoonotic illness” transmitted from animals like pigs and fruit bats to humans, and can also be transmitted through contaminated food and through contact with an infected person.
Infected persons sometimes do not show noticeable symptoms, others show signs of acute respiratory problems, while in severe cases, it can result in foetal encephalitis – a serious condition that affects the brain
No medicine or vaccine is available yet to treat the infection and treatment is limited to managing symptoms and supportive care, hence mortality rate among those who contract the virus is reportedly high.
Kozhikode reported its first – and the worst – Nipah outbreak in 2018 when 17 of the 18 confirmed cases died.