Kerala: India state on alert after Nipah virus deaths

Kerala, a state in southern India, has declared an update after learning that the exceptional Nipah virus has claimed the lives of two people.

According to officials, one of the deaths happened earlier this month and the other happened on August 30 in the country’s Kozhikode city.

Two of the victim’s friends have also tested positive for the disease and are currently receiving medical attention.

Since 2018, there has been a third Nipah epidemic in Kerala.

According to the World Health Organization, the Nipah virus infections is a” viral disease” that spreads from animals and fruit bats to people.

Additionally, it is spread through contaminated food and coming into contact with an infected individual.

Some people who contract the virus don’t exhibit any obvious symptoms, while another exhibit symptoms of severe breathing issues. A Nipah infection can cause fetal encephalitis, a severe brain condition, in serious cases.

Since there is no medicine or vaccine available to treat the illness, the morbidity rate among those who contract the disease is great. The only options for treatment are to manage symptoms and provide friendly treatment.

Mansukh Mandaviya, India’s minister of health, stated on Tuesday that the federal government had sent a staff to professionals to assess the situation and help the state government manage the pandemic.

Veena George, the health minister of Kerala, stated that 168 links from the two deceased individuals have been found and are currently being tested for the disease.

She continued,” Health workers have been instructed to follow disease control methods, and the state government has set up a power chamber in Kozhikode to monitor the situation.”

Pinarayi Vijayan, the chief minister of Kerala, urged people to exercise caution by donning face masks and just visiting hospitals in an emergency because the state government was” taking the incidents very significantly.”

He did, however, add that there was no need to be alarmed because those who had come into contact with the virus’s victims were undergoing care.

With 17 of the 18 confirmed cases dying in 2018, Kozhikode reported its first-and-worst Nipah pandemic.

One case was reported in the Ernakulam district in 2019, and the client made a full recovery. However, a 12-year-old infected son in Chathamangalam community passed away in 2021.

Kerala, a humid state that is experiencing rapid urbanization and quick tree loss, was found in an investigation by Reuters in May to have” perfect conditions for an epidemic like Nipah to emerge.”