Nipah Virus Outbreak in Kerala, India: Second Death Reported

A 24-year-old student has died of Nipah virus infection, the second death from the deadly virus in the southern Indian state of Kerala.

Local health officials have rushed to monitor close contacts of 151 people since July, fearing an outbreak. The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified the Nipah virus as a pathogen that requires special surveillance due to its high risk of causing a large-scale epidemic.

Currently, there is no vaccine to prevent this infection or a drug to treat this disease. The virus comes from fruit bats and other animals, such as pigs, and can cause life-threatening encephalitis in humans.

R. Renuka, a district doctor in Malappuram, said the deceased student started showing fever symptoms on September 4 and died five days later. A blood test conducted by the Malappuram city Institute of Virology in Pune confirmed Nipah virus infection on September 9.

The doctor also revealed that there are currently five more patients with suspected symptoms of infection, and a blood sample has been sent for testing. A total of 151 people who were in close contact with the deceased are under close observation.

Last July, a 14-year-old boy died in Nipah in Kerala, and since the first outbreak in 2018, the virus has killed dozens of people in the state.

Tags: Kerala, India, Nipah virus