• Source:JND
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Nipah Virus Deaths: As Kerala issues alert over the bat-borne Nipah virus, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Tuesday confirmed that the two deaths reported in the state's Kozhikode district were caused by the Nipah virus. The minister said that a central team of experts has been sent to Kerala to monitor the situation and assist the state government in the management of the Nipah virus.

The Kerala health department yesterday issued a health alert in Kozhikode district following the deaths of two people suspected to be due to the Nipah virus infection. The casualties due to the Nipah virus in Kerala came after years when deaths were reported in the state due to the infection in 2018 and 2021. The first Nipah virus (NiV) outbreak in south India was reported from Kozhikode on May 19, 2018.

Also Read: Nipah Virus Alert After 2 Deaths In Kerala: Causes, Symptoms, Risk Factors And Treatment Of This Virus

According to a report by PTI, four more samples have been sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune from Kerala to test for the deadly virus with a high mortality rate. This came hours after the Kerala government set up a control room in Kozhikode and advised people to use masks as a precautionary measure.

Kerala health minister Veena George on Monday also held a high-level meeting to take stock of the situation and assess the spread of the Nipah virus in the state. Earlier in the day, the state health department said two unnatural deaths following fever were reported from a private hospital, and it is suspected that these were due to the Nipah virus. Relatives of one of the deceased are also admitted to the intensive care unit.

As per the World Health Organization (WHO), Nipah virus infection is a zoonotic disease that can be transmitted to humans from animals, and it can also spread through tainted food or through direct human-to-human contact.

Also Read: Nipah Virus Alert In Kerala After Two 'Unnatural' Deaths Reported In Kozhikode

In individuals who contract the virus, it manifests in various forms, ranging from asymptomatic (subclinical) infection to acute respiratory illness and, in severe cases, fatal encephalitis. Moreover, the Nipah virus can inflict substantial economic losses on farmers by causing severe illness in animals like pigs, as noted by the WHO.

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