Confirming that the two deaths in Kerala’s Kozhikode have been caused by Nipah virus, the Centre on Tuesday rushed a team the Southern State to take stock of situation, assist the state govt in virus management.
The samples of the patients were sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune soon after the State Health authorities suspected that the death were “unnatural’ reported due to fever in Kozhikode.
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said that the deaths reported from Kerala’s Kozhikode district were caused by Nipah virus. “ A central team of experts has been sent to Kerala to take stock of situation and assist state government in management of the Nipah virus infection.” According to official sources, samples of four more people from Kerala have been sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune to test for the deadly virus.
Meanwhile, the Kerala government on Tuesday set up a control room in Kozhikode and advised people to use masks as a precautionary measure.
It is not the first time that Nipah virus has been reported from the State. In fact, Kozhikode has experienced two previous Nipah virus outbreaks, one in 2018 and another in 2021. During the first outbreak in 2018, a total of 23 cases were identified, with 17 people succumbing to this zoonotic virus. Nipah virus infection can manifest in various ways, ranging from asymptomatic (subclinical) cases to acute respiratory illness and fatal encephalitis among those infected.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Nipah virus infection is a zoonotic illness that is transmitted to people from animals and can also be transmitted through contaminated food or directly from person-to-person. The virus can also cause severe disease in animals such as pigs, resulting in significant economic losses for farmers, the WHO said.