Nipah alert in Kerala after two ‘unnatural’ deaths: All you need to know about the virus

The Kerala Health Department on Monday sounded a health alert in Kozhikode after two people died due to “unnatural” deaths in the district. According to the reports, the deceased were suspected to have been infected with Nipah virus. Following this, a high-level meeting was conducted and chaired by Kerala Health Minister Veena George, who also informed that the relatives of one of the deceased are also admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). 

Notably, the news of fever and the spread of virus created panic in the southern state as it brought back the memories of the earlier outbreaks that claimed multiple lives in the past. 

All you need to know about this deadly virus: 

• This is not the first time that Kerala witnessed an outbreak of Nipah virus. The virus outbreak , for the first time, was reported in south India in 2018. Kozhikode and Malappuram districts were among the first who suffered the consequences of this virus. The virus was again discovered in the district in 2021. 

• Nipah virus infection is a zoonotic illness that is transmitted via animals to humans. It can also be transmitted via contaminated food or directly between people and is caused by fruit bats. The virus is not only fatal for humans, but for animals as well, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

• Cases of Nipah infection have a fatality rate between 40 per cent to 75 per cent, claims WHO.

• The virus is named after a Malaysian village where it was first detected. Fruit bats, also known as flying foxes, are the cause of Nipah virus. 

• A Nipah infection can cause wide-ranging problems, including respiratory issues. The symptoms include fever, headache, cough, difficulty breathing and vomiting. More severe symptoms are disorientation, seizures and coma. 

• Notably, there is no particular treatment for the virus, however, one can take precautions, such as avoiding eating fruits that have fallen on the ground, to protect oneself.