India has documented two deaths caused by the rare Nipah virus in the state of Kerala, as confirmed by an official from the National Institute of Virology on Tuesday.
The official, who chose to remain anonymous, disclosed that one death occurred earlier this month, while the other occurred on August 30th.
In addition to these fatalities, two more individuals from the same family are suspected to have contracted the virus, and their samples have been dispatched for testing. The virology institute has also shared its findings with the federal health ministry.
The Nipah virus is a deadly pathogen that affects the brain and is transmitted to humans through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected bats, pigs, or other individuals. It was first identified in 1999 during an outbreak among pig farmers and individuals in close proximity to pigs in Malaysia and Singapore. Unfortunately, there are currently no treatments or vaccines available for the virus.
To contain the situation, mass testing will commence in the area where the recent cases were identified, and some quarantine measures have been enforced.
This marks the fourth outbreak of Nipah virus in Kerala since 2018. The initial and most severe outbreak began with a 26-year-old man who sought medical attention for a fever and cough, which subsequently spread to family members and other patients before being diagnosed as Nipah. Tragically, twenty-one out of twenty-three infected individuals lost their lives during that outbreak. In 2019 and 2021, Nipah claimed two more lives in the region.
A Reuters investigation published in May highlighted parts of Kerala as being among the areas globally most susceptible to outbreaks of bat-borne viruses. Extensive deforestation and urbanization have brought humans and wildlife into close proximity, increasing the risk of such infections.
