Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 11 . On Monday, the Kerala Health Department raised an alert in Kozhikode district after two deaths with suspected Nipah virus infection were reported as “unusual.” State Health Minister Veena George convened a high-level meeting to assess the situation, as announced by the health department in a statement on Monday night. It was reported that two individuals with fever had passed away at a private hospital, and there is a suspicion that Nipah virus might be the cause. The statement also mentioned that relatives of one of the deceased have been admitted to the intensive care unit.
Previously, Nipah virus infections were documented in Kozhikode district in 2018 and 2021. The first outbreak of Nipah virus (NiV) in southern India was recorded in Kozhikode on May 19, 2018. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Nipah virus infection is a zoonotic disease that can be transmitted from animals to humans and can also spread through contaminated food or direct person-to-person contact. Among those infected, it can lead to various illnesses, ranging from asymptomatic (subclinical) infections to severe respiratory conditions and fatal encephalitis.
The virus can also inflict severe harm on animals like pigs, resulting in substantial economic losses for farmers, as indicated by WHO.
